7 Simple Steps to Easily Master Healthy Eating

Contrary to popular belief — a healthy diet does not need to be complicated.

If you keep it simple and take it step by step — you can follow these 7 steps for guaranteed, sustainable success.

You don’t need to implement them all at once — so take it slow and follow your own pace.

1. Eat Your Vegetables

Everyone knows vegetables are good for you but how can we make sure we eat enough of them? Follow these tips and tricks to eat more vegetables for once and all.

• 2–3 cups is the recommended amount of veggies per day — which means a lot of people have quite a bit of catching up to do!
• Veggies in Disguise — pureed veggies are — certainly for children — a smart way to get more vegetables on the daily menu. Easily smuggle fresh vegetables in a soup or sauce by pureeing them with a hand blender.
• Eat the Rainbow — Vegetables derive their color, among other things, from naturally occurring substances that contribute to our health. Each color represents different nutritious elements. Orange vegetables, for example, contain beta-carotene, which is converted in our bodies into vitamin A. Green vegetables are rich in iron and folic acid. To get the best variety of nutrients make sure you ‘eat the rainbow.’

2. Eat Healthy Fats

Fat certainly deserves a better image than it has been given. Fat is a source of energy, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and essential fatty acids (such as omega 3 and omega 6).

There are saturated and unsaturated fats. Fat in foods always consists of a combination of both.

It has now been proven that dietary cholesterol, such as that from fat, does not affect cholesterol levels in the blood. In fact, quite the opposite can occur as fats can improve our good cholesterol readings (HDL) by converting the bad (LDL).

Good sources of fats are found in products such as fish, nuts, and avocado. Your body and taste buds will thank you.

• Fish — Oily fish are an excellent choice for a healthy heart. They contain unsaturated fats that are good for cholesterol levels. For a good balance, it is recommended to eat a fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines once a week. These fish are an excellent choice for lunches or light bites. Smoked salmon is a perfect breakfast option.
• Avocado — This fruit is also a perfect source of unsaturated fats, which contributes to the maintenance of healthy cholesterol
  levels in the blood. But we also eat avocado because it is so delicious in salads, guacamole or simply on toast.
• Nuts — A handful of unsalted nuts every day can be a great afternoon snack. The unsaturated fats in nuts are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. You can eat them over salads, pasta, stews or just as a snack.

3. Staying Hydrated

Staying hydrated is very important for the optimal functioning of our bodies. It helps, for example, to regulate your body temperature. How much should we drink and what?

• Water — Why is it so Important? We lose fluid all day long in different kinds of ways. Therefore, it needs to be supplemented. In addition,
  drinking 2 litres of water per day helps, among other things, controlling the body temperature, transporting nutrients through the body and participating in many chemical reactions.
• 1.5–2 Litres per Day — An adult needs from 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid per day. Water is the best source; however, coffee, black, green or
  herbal teas also contribute to daily requirements.
• Need some taste in your cup? Juices such as orange juice also contribute to daily requirements, yet it is not the most sensible choice. Fruit
  juices can contain a lot of hidden sugars. Be also aware of the distinction between fruit juice and fruit drink. Fruit drinks often contain hardly any fruit and large amounts of sugar. Fruit juices must consist of 100% juice.
• Not too Much — Drinking enough is essential, but do not overdo it: drinking too much is not good either. Your kidneys can process 700 ml to 1 litre of fluid per hour. 1.5 -2 litres of fluid per day is enough in most cases.

4. Buy Consciously and Cook Homemade Meals

Healthy eating starts with your groceries. And your way of cooking, of course. A few small adjustments can make a world of difference.

Healthy eating is not only what you eat but also how you eat it. Here are some tips:

• Whenever possible eat at the table, avoid eating on the go or in front of the TV. Make each meal a pleasurable experience, where you can concentrate on the taste, texture, and smell of your delicious food.
• Take your time. Pause briefly between bites; this will not only make eating a better experience but also kick-start the digestion process.
• Chew carefully. Depending on the texture of the food it can take up to 30 chews to properly chew your food.
• Take smaller mouthfuls. This will increase the taste stimuli in your mouth. Don’t take a new spoonful unless the previous one has been swallowed.
• Avoid distractions during the meal. Put your phone away and enjoy what is on your plate.
• Eat only what is on your plate. Make sure you have only one portion to avoid overeating.

5. Non-Meat Day

Eating slightly less meat is good for your health and the environment. It’s an excellent way to make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables, and there are plenty of tasty alternatives available.

• Red and Processed Meats — Overeating red and processed meat can result in health risks. Processed meat is meat that has been salted or smoked, or has gone through a different process to achieve a specific flavor or shelf life (such as schnitzels, hamburgers, sandwich fillings, sausage or pâté). Red meat is that of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. White meat comes from poultry such as chicken and turkey.
• Healthier Environment — By avoiding meat 1 day per week, you can save about 7% of the share of the greenhouse effect.
• 2050 — The International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expects that in Western Europe and the United States, demand for meat will decrease in the coming years because we are becoming more aware of the effects of meat production on the environment. However, that decline does not outweigh the total demand for meat due to emerging countries, (like China) which are going to consume more meat.

Until 2050, the need for meat at the world level will double. To continue to feed everyone, scientists are looking for new protein sources that can replace meat, for example, insects.

6. Reinvent Your Breakfast & Lunch

• Smart Lunch — Get more vegetables in your diet by opting for a salad. Prepare extra green beans, broccoli or zucchini in the evening. The next day add some lettuce or raw vegetables, some legumes and nuts and you have a salad ready in no time.
• 10–15% — Treat yourself to a good breakfast that will give you 10 to 15% of the nutrients that you require every day. What does a good breakfast consist of? Fibre-rich carbohydrates (wholemeal cereals, fruit, vegetables),
  protein (low-fat yogurt, cheese, egg) and good fats (avocado, nuts, seeds).
• The Darker, the Healthier — Rye bread, spelled bread, brown bread… Name and color do not say much about the fibres in it. The bread is
  not brown because of the kind of flour that is used, but because of other additions such as roasted malt. What should you pay attention to? Check for whether the bread is made from wholemeal flour, as this bread
  is rich in fibre.

7. Avoid Hidden Ingredients

Attention: hidden sugar and salt! Many products contain sugar and salt without you noticing, which means you might consume more of it than the recommended amounts. With these tips, you can prevent that.

• Do We Need Sugar and Salt — Sugar, like starch and fibre, is a carbohydrate. We receive from 40% to 70% of our energy from carbs. But what we do not need at all are added sugars such as those in soft drinks or coffee. Our body does not need salt but does need sodium, a mineral that is found in salt. But careful, as too much sodium causes high blood pressure.
• How to Cut Down — Cutting down is merely a matter of getting used to less sugar and salt. If you start eating less salty foods for a while and skip the sugar in your coffee, you will be surprised how quickly your taste buds get used to it. You can, therefore, train your taste buds, which will take a few weeks until they have adjusted.
• Sugar Everywhere — It is not always easy to read the label to see how much added sugar a particular product contains. That is because there are dozens of different names for different types of sugar. You can unmask most of them by looking for words that end with -ose, -syrup, -honey, or -nectar. These are the most common sugars: corn syrup, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, agave nectar.

• Fresh Off the Press — It is said a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice is healthy, but unfortunately, it is not quite the case. Yes, it indeed contains a lot of vitamin C, but on the other hand, one glass (250 ml) contains about 30 grams of sugar (about seven sugar cubes). Furthermore, orange juice, as well as other fruit juices, contains acids that can affect the teeth. It is better to eat an entire orange, as it also includes fibres that are lost during squeezing.

Consistently following these 7 simple guidelines will help you introduce and maintain healthy eating habits that can transform your wellbeing.

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