BY TASHA LUNNY
It is the middle of the day and you’re struck by afternoon hunger. Most people head out to the nearest vending machine to grab their snack but there are better ways to satisfy hunger and maintain healthy eating habits.
According to a Community Wire news release, 85 per cent of people claim they are interested in making good food decisions, but less than half of those surveyed rated their eating habits as very good or excellent.
Getting proper nutrition will not only keep you from gaining unwanted weight, but also decrease chances of disease or medical problems. Waterloo-based naturopathic doctor Alyson Danby gave easy tips to help people cut down on junk and better their health.
One of the most important things to add to your grocery list is multi-coloured vegetables. Eating five to six servings a day of vegetables will provide you with necessary vitamins, minerals and fibres.
Although Danby encourages eating all colours of the “vegetable rainbow,” the most important ones to include are greens such as broccoli.
“Try and have at least one green vegetable with every meal including breakfast,” Danby said. “I know it seems like a hard one but if you stop to think about it, it’s actually really easy.”
Adding vegetables like spinach to your morning breakfast smoothies or eggs can be an easy way to make your breakfast a little greener.
Although foods that are high in fibre, complex carbohydrates and vitamins are essential, it is also important to make sure you are including enough protein in your diet and not just through meat products.
“(It is important to) ensure you are getting enough protein and that includes vegetable sources of protein. Amino acids are essential for so many building blocks in the body … so it is really important,” Danby said.
As a naturopathic doctor, Danby encourages people to cut down on foods high in preservatives. Some easy ways to do this is to incorporate organic or locally grown foods into your diet. Another easy way to cut back on unnecessary additives is to replace sauces with herbs and spices.
“When you’re removing a lot of the chemicals that you’re eating and you’re adding in nutrients and proteins, that is a (type of) cleanse and detox,” she said.
Taking the time to plan out weekly meals is a good way to ensure you stay on track with your eating habits. It also helps save a few dollars at the grocery store and reduce the amount of food being thrown out each week.
“You are much more likely to succeed in healthy eating if you have a meal plan and … if you plan your meals out than
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