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Keep a food diary

How often do you think about what you’re eating? Often, life is hectic, and we don’t have much time to actually analyze what is on the plate in front of us or what we’re adding to the pan at the end of a busy day. Keeping a food diary or logging meals and snacks using an app can help you take stock. With a food diary or an app, you can track calories, but you can also see how you’re doing in terms of your intake of fiber, protein, sugar, salt and key vitamins and minerals. Use your diary to identify areas where you need to improve. Perhaps you’re consuming too much sugar on a regular basis, or you’re falling short of the recommended daily intake of fiber or vitamin C, for example. If you’re aware of issues, you can make changes to your diet. 

Hit your 5-a-day

Health experts recommend a minimum intake of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. If you find it tough to hit this target, there are some straightforward, hassle-free, affordable ways to increase your intake. Making smoothies, soups and pasta sauces at home can help, and you can also add sides to main meals, as well as healthy snacks to keep hunger at bay. Graze on raw carrots, celery or fruit slices and add a selection of vegetables or a side salad to your lunch and dinner. You can start the day with a fruit smoothie or sprinkle berries or chopped banana or apple on a bowl of oatmeal or natural yoghurt or add spinach or tomatoes to an omelet. For a hearty, healthy dinner, you can find an instant pot mashed sweet potatoes recipe here. Serve with a piece of grilled fish or a vegetable stew. If you tend to eat on the go, or you don’t have much time available to cook in the evenings, prepare lunches the evening before and use the weekends for batch cooking. You can create casseroles, soups and stews packed with vegetables to take to the office or enjoy after a busy day during the week. 

Find the right balance

People often assume that healthy eating means abandoning all treats and sacrificing the foods they love for good. In reality, depriving yourself of certain foods is often counterproductive. You don’t have to give up pizza or take a vow never to eat a burger again to have a healthy, balanced diet. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a slice of cake once in a while or treating yourself to an ice cream at the beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Focus on the nutritional value of your diet, and limit your intake of foods that have little to offer in terms of vitamins and minerals. If you eat well most of the time, you shouldn’t feel guilty about ordering a portion of fries or buying a chocolate bar from time to time.

Many of us get carried away thinking about weight loss when the subject of diet crops up in conversation. Your number one priority should always be nutrition. Hopefully, this guide will help you improve your diet and boost your health.