Eating healthy helps avoid risks of disease and illness, while also
providing benefits of an increased immune system, increased energy,
and positive mental state.
1. Eat Breakfast
People who skip breakfast are more likely to overindulge at the
remaining meals of the day. Breakfast also jumpstarts your metabolism
for the day.
2. Drink Water
Water is essential for the functioning of our bodies. Try to avoid sugary
drinks and replenish with water.
3. Eat slowly and with others
Eating with others is beneficial socially and often leads to healthier
choices. Eating with others also allows for conversation, encouraging us
to slow down eating. We should chew and enjoy the food we are eating.
This gives your body more time to process and determine when you are
full. Eating in front of the TV or with other distractions often leads to
overeating.
4. Include colorful fruits and veggies
These should be a large portion of your meal, providing essential fiber,
antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients.
5. Choose healthy carbs
Eat whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables as carbohydrate source.
This is your body's main energy source and these foods take longer to
digest, leaving you full for longer. Limit refined carbohydrates, such as
white flour, white rice, and sugar, that are quickly digested and lead to
quick peaks (and drops) in blood sugar and energy.
6. Get your calcium
Calcium is essential for bone health. Dairy, greens, and beans are good
source of calcium.
7. Limit your sugar and salt intake
Sugar can affect health and cause weight problems, as well as cause
fluctuations in energy. Limiting sugar is not only decreasing sweets, but
also being aware of added sugar (sometimes hidden or unexpected) in
other foods such as canned soups, fast food, ketchup, bread, sauces, etc.
Salt can cause high blood pressure and other adverse health problems.
Limit salt by choosing fresh or frozen over canned vegetables (or
choosing reduced sodium or sodium free), avoiding processed foods,
and be aware when eating out.
8. Eat off a plate
Choose to place your meal on a plate instead of eating from a package
or container. This lets you visualize the amount of food you are eating.
The following is the current USDA recommended
nutrition guideline:
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Key Points:
Half of your plate should be fruits and veggies
For most fruit choices, choose whole fruit instead of juice for the added
dietary fiber
Include beans and peas in your vegetables. These are great sources of
protein, fiber, vitamins, and nutrients
At least half of your grains should be whole grains
The protein group includes: meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, beans and
peas, soy product, nuts, and seeds
Protein should be about 1/4 of your plate
Choose lean meats and poultry
Most dairy choices should be fat-free or low fat
1. Prepare at Home
a. Eating out adds up quickly! Plan to make meals at home. Make
large meals to save for later.
b. Buying pre-prepared, pre-seasoned, or pre-cut food may seem a
time saver, but it will cost you a lot more than plain cut meats. If
you can spend the extra time and cut the food yourself and save
money.
2. Make a Plan
a. Look at what you already have and decide what you could make
with what you have or with a 2 or 3 more ingredients
b. Look up recipes to plan what ingredients needed
c. Check the grocery store sale paper for that week and base meals
off what is on sale
d. Make a shopping list, and stick to it!
3. Coupons
a. If you can, cut coupons for the things you need to buy. Cut the
coupons after making the shopping list to avoid buying items not
needed just because of the coupon
4. Stock Up
a. If possible, keep a well-stocked pantry. Have staple items that keep
well and stock up on them when they are on sale.
5. Leftovers
a. Leftovers work great for lunches other days of the week
b. Leftovers also freeze. Freeze already portioned sizes, so they can
be grab, microwave, and eat meals
c. If you don't like to eat leftovers, only make how much you will eat
and readjust the recipe (such as halve it) so that you don't buy extra
groceries
6. Seasonality
a. Plan for produce that is in season, saving you money
7. Avoid wasting food
a. Check sell by and use by dates before you buy, if you won't use it
by then avoid or plan to freeze
b. Store veggies and fruit in fridge to make them last longer
c. Divide large packages of food into smaller portions and freeze for
later use
d. Use your freezer
Make meals off inexpensive, staple foods
 Rice
 Beans
 Pasta
 Frozen Veggies
 Eggs
 Canned Tuna
 Oats
 Potatoes
 Spices
Resources for Budget Recipes:
My Recipes: Budget Recipes- http://www.myrecipes.com/budget-recipes/
Budget Bytes- http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/
Martha Stewart: Budget Recipes- http://www.marthastewart.com/274292/quickbudget-friendly-recipes/@center/276948/dinner-tonight
Budget Cooking Blog- http://budgetcookingblog.wordpress.com/
Cheap Recipe Blog- http://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/
USDA Healthy Eating on a Budget- http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eatingon-budget.html
Myth: Sports drinks are healthy beverages
Fact: Sports drinks do have their advantages and play a role in
exercise/training programs. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and provide
replenishment after long and hard exercise activity, when glycogen energy
stores have been depleted. However, other than in these situations, sports
drinks provide little nutritional benefit, and are equivalent to any other
sugary beverage. Casual athletes very seldom have need for them.
Myth: The more protein you eat, the bigger your muscles will get
Fact: It is exercise, specifically weight training, which builds muscle, in
combination with the adequate amount of protein and caloric intake. There is
a certain amount of protein our body needs to build muscle, but it is not an
equal exchange of more protein equals more muscle. Pumping our bodies
with protein will not automatically produce more muscle. The most effective
way is to eat a balanced diet with a source of protein in each meal to meet
your body's needs.
Myth: Carbohydrates are fattening
Fact: The culprit is not the carbohydrates themselves. Carbohydrates are in
fact part of a healthy, balanced diet. Complex carbohydrates found in whole
grain breads and cereals and in starchy vegetables are even associated with a
healthy diet and body weight. The issue comes from the fact that any food
source, carbohydrate, fat, protein, will be stored as fat if not used for energy.
Myth: Fat free foods equal lose weight
Fact: While these "fat free", "low fat" "light" and other labeled foods are
reduced in fat content, they still have caloric value. Eating more calories
than you burn results in weight gain.
Myth: The salad is always the healthy option
Fact: Fast food restaurants sell salads and it is easy to believe that these are
the healthiest options available, but they are not as healthy as they seem. A
Big Mac has 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 1,040 milligrams of salt. A
Southwest Salad with chicken and salad dressing has 500 calories (variable
depending on dressing choice), 22 grams of fat, and 1,260 milligrams of salt.
The salad and the Big Mac are comparable in nutritional value - not very
much of a "healthy" option.
Myth: Celery equals negative calories (it takes more calories to digest celery
than the number of calories the vegetable contains)
Fact: There are 6 calories in a stalk of celery. The average person burns 62
calories per hour when resting, including digestion. This is equivalent to
approximately 1 calorie per minute. In the estimated 2 minutes it takes to eat
a celery stick (containing 6 calories) your body would only burn 2 calories
digesting. While celery is low in calories, it is not negative calories.
Myth: Calories eaten at nighttime are more fattening than those eaten when
active during daytime
Fact: While your activity does tend to decrease in the evening, the
importance is in the number of calories eaten versus burned, not when those
calories are eaten.
Myth: You crave certain foods because you are deficient in those nutrients
Fact: No, cravings tend to be based on a more emotional need associated
with those foods.
Myth: The five-second rule
Fact: A study found that a piece of bologna dropped on a tile floor picked
up 99% of the bacteria found on the floor. Variations in bacteria transfer
depend on floor type and food type, but significant is the fact that the
bacteria do transfer, even in that five seconds. So, think twice before
popping that food just dropped on the floor into your mouth, or at least wash
it off first!