Trust the unprocessed and get ready to get fresh obsessed…
By Karen Kwan
Ripping open that bag of potato chips and digging into their salty crunchiness – sometimes you just can’t beat that satisfying indulgence. Not to mention the convenience of grabbing a packaged meal out of the freezer and zapping it in the microwave for a dinner that’s ready in a couple of minutes. But processed foods – meaning anything that’s been packaged, canned, frozen, cooked or pasteurized – are often loaded with sodium, unhealthy fats, added sugars and other additives. Cutting back on the processed foods you eat is a simple way you can boost your health, and it doesn’t have to be painful. It doesn’t mean you have to go the trad-wife route and start milling your own flour the next time you want pasta. These realistic strategies can help you cut down on the processed foods in your diet without making you feel like you’re missing out.
Stock your kitchen with healthy snacks
When you open your fridge, if an apple is all you’ve got to grab for a quick snack, chances are that’s what you’ll eat. Not having packaged cookies, chips and candy on hand makes it easier to opt for the healthy choice of fresh fruit and veggies. To keep your palate from getting bored, change it up by keeping a variety of nutrient-dense snacks such as hummus, hard-boiled eggs, crispy chickpeas, kale chips, nuts, popcorn and edamame. Consider, too, the type of snacks you tend to gravitate towards in terms of texture and whether you usually crave sweet or savoury, and then fill your pantry with ones that will satisfy those preferences.
Cut back on sugary beverages
If you’ve got a soft-drink habit, you’re consuming a ton of empty calories. That sweet fizzy sip can be tough to give up. Approach this by cutting back slowly. If you find it tough to switch to water, opt for packaged flavoured waters (such as Bubly or Aha): replace one of your usual pop drinks with one of these carbonated waters a day, and gradually swap out more pop for water. You can also water down your juice so you’re consuming less sugar – increase the ratio of water to juice as you grow more accustomed to the flavour. As always, be sure to read the nutrition facts labels, too: beverages and juices might appear to be better for you than your typical soft drink but are just as laden with sugar.
Spend time prepping delicious meals
If you have a meal or two ready to eat in your fridge, you’ll be much less likely to hit up the drive-through on your way home after a long day. Yes, this will require devoting time to cooking in the kitchen, but you’ll reap the rewards of better health. Make your meal-prep time interesting and tasty as well – look for meals that change it up so you’re not eating the exact same thing all week, and for ingredients and flavours that you love. After all, if you think of and plan for meal prepping as plain steamed vegetables day after day, there’s no doubt you’re going to ditch the meals you think of as flavourless and hit up your favourite fast-food joint. Also, set aside time to clean and chop vegetables so you have them not only ready to snack on but also to use for making your meal. Having some of your mise en place done will make cooking dinner a breeze…making it much more likely you’ll consume more produce over the week.
Zero in on making simple healthy food swaps
Don’t overlook the small healthy changes you can make when it comes to what you eat day to day. Instead of microwaving popcorn, pop your own on the stovetop. Love chips and dip? Instead, try some multigrain crackers dipped in hummus or a tapenade. If you usually keep a packaged granola bar on hand, replace this with some trail mix you’ve prepared yourself using nuts, seeds and unsweetened dried fruit, or prepare some protein balls using natural ingredients. Instead of your go-to flavoured yogurt, make a few snack cups of overnight oats or chia pudding you can top with fresh fruit. Switch to whole grains from refined grains: if you find you don’t like the flavour, you can train your tastebuds to adjust over time by mixing brown rice with white rice; and if you’re making a sandwich, make it with one slice of whole grain bread and one slice of white bread.
Share meals with other people
Studies have shown that we eat more fruits and vegetables and less fried food and soft drinks when we eat meals with other people. Plan for regular meals with friends and family, and everyone will benefit, not just from adopting eating habits but also from the social and mental health benefits of spending time with others.
KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter @healthswellness and on Instagram @healthandswellness.
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