It’s January 2021! And you know what that means — it’s time for our annual New Year’s Resolutions. After two consecutive weeks of holiday celebrations filled with leisurely eating and drinking, we bet losing weight and eating healthier is part of your new year’s agenda.
For sure, you didn’t have vegetable salads and fruit smoothies for your Christmas and New Year dinner. Instead, you probably had carb-filled pasta dishes, greasy pizzas, battered and deep-fried seafood, savory, sodium-packed BBQs and steaks, sugary cakes, and crates of alcoholic beverages and soda. Aside from the fear of looking at the weighing scale, you might also have the fear of having these not-so-healthy meals and drinks take a toll on your health.
If you’re looking for tips to start the year right with better eating habits, this article has got you covered. Listed here are 10 ways to eat healthier after the holidays.
1. Make your meals colorful with fruits and vegetables
This is a no-brainer: it’s vital to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet. These are packed with nutrients, like fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals you need to boost energy levels, boost your immune system, and fight diseases.
Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal. Eat them for snacks. You may also find ways to put them into your recipes.
2. Swap red meat for seafood
Want to boost your protein intake but want to keep everything light? The fruits of the sea got you covered. Fish and shellfish are high in protein but low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. They’re also rich in vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A, D, and B-complex, zinc, selenium, iron, and iodine. Lastly, they’re high in omega-3 fatty acids, that help reduces the risk of heart disease.
If you can’t find fresh seafood in your local supermarket or the choices are limited, you can browse an online seafood shop for a wider variety of seafood options. They’re guaranteed fresh and high-quality, plus they’ll be conveniently delivered to your doorstep.
3. Choose whole-grain
Cutting on your carbs? Instead of starving yourself, why not try whole-grain options in place of refined bread and rice? Whole foods include whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain corn, and graham flour.
Whole grain meals fill you up while limiting your calorie count. They’re rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like zinc, iron, manganese, and magnesium.
4. Chow down slowly
Did you know that fast eaters are up to 115% more likely to be obese than slow eaters? Studies suggest that the pace at which you eat influences the amount of your food intake as well as how likely you are to gain weight.
Do yourself a favor and stop rushing. You can eat healthier and even appreciate your food better if you eat your meals slowly.
5. Eat smaller portions more often
Don’t wait till you’re hungry before eating something. Instead, try eating small portions more often, like eating three main meals a day with snacks in between. You’ll be more likely to make bad eating decisions when you wait too long to eat.
6. Limit fast-food and processed food
If there’s something good brought by the lockdown, it’s that people were more likely to prepare their food at home than eat out. Continue that trait this year. Resist greasy, sugar, and sodium-packed fast food meals and cook your own meals from grocery-bought ingredients. Limit processed food too, like instant noodles, hot dogs, frozen pizzas, deli meats, cookies, canned goods, chips, soda and fruit juices, and more, which contains loads of salt, sugar, fat, and preservatives.
7. Switch to healthier cooking methods
Even the healthiest seafood loses its benefits when breaded, deep-fried, or drenched in butter. Opt for cooking methods that won’t require you to put in lots of oil, sugar, and salt to make your meals taste better.
Instead of frying, try baking, steaming, grilling, roasting, and boiling. Instead of adding too much salt and MSG to enhance your meal’s flavor, try adding herbs and spices. If you’re tempted to use oil, opt for healthier oils like olive oil, nut butter, and low-fat butter.
8. Invest in cooking appliances that produce healthier meals
If you’re looking for a sign to check out that air fryer that’s been sitting in your online shopping cart for months, this is it.
Any cooking equipment that helps you trim down your oil intake and encourage you to eat more fruits and vegetables are worth the investment. Opt for non-stick pans that won’t require the use of oil, air fryers, ovens, food processors, blenders, and steamers.
9. Go lean and clean
If you can’t ditch thy love for chicken, pork, beef, and other land-based meat, you may opt for a leaner cut. These include skinless, white-meat poultry like breast, breast tenderloin, and wings, loin and round beef, pork loin, low-fat dairy products, and egg whites. Try plant-based protein too, like lentils, beans, and peas.
10. Try clean, plant-based diets at least once a week
If you can’t stick to a full vegetarian or vegan diet 24/7, you can start by having a once-a-week plant-based menu. Perhaps Meatless Monday sounds fine? Meals, from breakfast to dinner, shouldn’t have any meat ingredient. You can try meatless meatballs and burgers from mixed veggies (lentils, peas, and beans, potatoes, mushrooms, and herbs), salads, soups, and stews.
11. Drink lots of water
You know the drill: drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. You should also make water your drink of choice. Avoid sugary drinks like processed juices and sodas, alcoholic drinks, and caffeinated drinks, which contain loads of sugar and no nutritional value.
Author Bio: Mina Natividad is a passionate daytime writer for Manettas Seafood Market, an online and interactive seafood delivery service which provides customers a true, first-class fish market experience without leaving home. Since she’s a seafood lover herself, she’s got a lot to say about food, well-being, and lifestyle.
