How To Choose Healthy Foods for Good Health

Most of us are aware of the benefits of a balanced diet and healthy eating.  But being aware of the benefits is only half of the solution.  You also need to know how to choose the foods that will be best for your health.  Depending on your daily routine, you may or may not eat at home most of the time (although we hope this blog inspires you to cook from scratch as much as possible!).

Image via WikipediaTip #1: Start your day with a healthy and well balanced breakfast.  Studies have shown that people who don’t eat a full breakfast tend to seek carbohydrate-heavy snacks all throughout the day, and are more prone to gaining weight.

Eating at home usually involves more meal preparation time; this is important because preparing a good meal takes a lot more time than simply eating some junk food.  If you can afford the time to prepare your meals at home, this can dramatically increase the quality of your meals. Not only can you choose exactly what you eat, but you can choose how it is prepared and pick out the quality of the items yourself.

Tip #2: Any meal you eat, whether at home or while out should consist of all the basic food groups. Balancing proteins, starches, greens and vegetables is a key factor to a healthy diet.  Your body needs all the different food groups in order to function properly, and by balancing your meals you are ensuring your health and the quality of your life.

Tip #3: Choosing the food you eat based simply on the label at the supermarket is not always the best choice.  Sure, a low-fat or diet version of a favorite snack, treat or dessert may in some cases be a better option than the regular version, but is it really the best option? Look for healthier alternatives for snacking in between meals, such as whole-food bars and natural products, fruit and juice. It is not so much the amount you eat but rather what you eat that makes the difference. And just because something says it's "Light" doesn't make it better for you. Check and see if it contains extra artificial sweeteners or other chemical flavorings, fillers, or substitutes for the more natural ingredients in the regular version - if so, you're better off leaving it on the shelf.

Avoiding fatty foods and food with high quantities of sugar is also very important.  Choose baked food instead of fried food, and adopt this healthier alternative when cooking at home as well.

Image via WikipediaTip #4: When away from home and eating out, look for healthy alternatives.  Fast food offers convenience advantages but often has no real nutritional value.  Stuffing yourself with useless calories will fill you up momentarily, but you will soon find you are hungry again, and this can often lead to a vicious cycle, leading to high levels of junk food intake per day (and weight gain).  Choose full meals whenever possible; look for whole wheat and organic products whenever you can.  If you are on the run and need to eat as quickly as possible, look for the healthier alternatives to hotdogs and burgers.  Try natural sandwiches, wraps, or burritos made on the spot, there are many natural fast foods that can be just as quick as the conventional ones, while providing much better quality to your diet.