Brought to you by SPAR.
Healthy eating is all about making better choices.
It can be hard to balance your healthy eating ambitions with the realities of a busy life. Sure, you’d love to eat freshly prepared meals that are full of organic ingredients but it’s not always possible.
Maybe the stores you want to visit are shut when you’re leaving work, you may be exhausted after a long day, or you might be in a rush to meet friends. The trick is to make little changes here and there that can help you to lead a healthier life.
Here are just a few ideas that can help you out.
Take it easy on the coffee
There’s nothing like a nice coffee to wake you up on a Monday morning or to perk you up after a long day. But experts recommend that you cut back on your caffeine intake if you’re drinking five cups or more a day.
Drinking too much coffee can cause dehydration, place your liver under stress and overstimulate your nervous system. You may think you need coffee to survive your hectic lifestyle but health is all about finding balance.
Stay hydrated
We’re always being told to drink lots of water but it’s easy to forget if you’re fighting fires at work or facing a busy evening when you get home. So why is it important?
Drinking water keeps you energised, improves concentration and helps with blood circulation. Our bodies can also mistake dehydration for hunger, causing you to overeat if you don’t stay topped up. It may seem unimportant but going to the water cooler regularly will do more than just keep you up to date with the office chatter.
Cut back on pre-processed food
Cheap ready meals may seem great when you just want something handy but they can come packed with sugars, salt and preservatives. Sweet stuff can also be crammed with unhealthy sugars or other artificial ingredients. That doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself!
Making your own muffins or biscuits means you can still enjoy a sweet snack on the go. Preparing meals using fresh ingredients will also improve your diet and allow you to choose what goes into your body.
Choose your late night snacks carefully
Hectic work days or late evenings can throw your eating habits into disarray. You can easily find yourself eating late dinners or having midnight snacks. The perceived wisdom is that your metabolism slows down at night so you’re more likely to gain weight if you eat after a certain time.
The real problem is the type of food you eat. Munching away on high calorie food like crisps, popcorn, ice cream or sweets while watching late night TV can cause problems. So think about what you eat as much as much as when you eat if you’re tempted by late night snacks.
Don’t become the chipper’s best customer
You’ve had a long day, you’re tired and you don’t want to cook when you get home. This is when the chipper or a takeaway looks like the greatest thing since democracy. Try to preempt this temptation by cooking more than you need at the weekend and freezing/refrigerating it for future use.
If you do eat out or get a takeaway, don’t feel obliged to finish a portion if you feel full. Ignore that Irish mammy voice in your head that’s telling you to clean your plate and only eat what you really need.
It hasn’t always been easy to eat on the go and eat well. People’s lives are changing so SPAR are doing their best to incorporate healthy eating into a modern lifestyle.
They’ve launched SPAR Better Choices to combine convenience with healthy options. The healthy eating initiative will also cater for a range of dietary needs by offering high protein, gluten-free or low-fat products.
It’s never been easier to eat well and to make healthier choices while still leading a busy life. You can find out more about SPAR Better Choices and find healthy recipes on their website.
Brought to you by SPAR.
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