Healthy Food Choices for your Family

Eating healthy and living healthy should be the motto for every family

Obesity high blood pressure high cholesterol is now in every family. One or two members are definitely suffering from any one of the above. Our life styles are making us inactive, al thru the day the pressure of work, home care, children have left us with absolutely no time for ourselves. 24hours a day seems no longer enough for anyone. With our work home and children as priority our fitness regime has taken a back seat. Which is understandable, if we know that we have practically no time in our hands left for working out then least we  can do is alter our eating habits.

Eating right thing and at the right time also can do wonders for our system.

Here are simple tips if we keep in mind when we are doing our groceries can help us select healthy and nutritious food for our family-

1 While shopping for breads make sure you pick up multi grain bread, and if you pick up the 9 grain bread even better. Multi grain breads are high in fiber and best for us comparatively to white bread.

Instead of picking up high in sugar Croissant, cookies, muffins, rolls, doughnuts try and pick multi grain cookies or low in sugar carrot or blue berry muffin you can also pick up whole wheat bagels. Make sure what even bakery stuff you buy the first ingredient is a whole grain as whole grains are high in fiber low in sugar and very healthy.

2 Instead of picking up white pasta pick up whole wheat pasta for everyone, even your kids need the qualities and fiber of a whole grain. White pasta sauce made at home with 4% milk is way healthier than the ones you pick up off the shelves. Red pasta sauce is fine and adding red sauce to your white pasta enhances the taste and also cuts down the excess fat.

Make sure your pasta is loaded with vegetables and chicken, this makes it a complete meal with carbohydrates proteins and vitamins all in one meal.

Same way brown rice way more healthier option than white rice.

3. Proteins are very important and should be a part of our daily diet. Eggs are a good source and weigh less in fat if the yolk is excluded. Egg yolks aren’t bad but as long as they are in proportion if you’re making a 2 egg scrambled for yourself add one yolk and throw the other yolk, its proportion should be 2 egg whites and 1 portion of egg yolk.

While picking up meats stick to lean meats like turkey and chicken, red meats like bacon and pork should be consumed only occasionally. Try and stick to fish as much as possible high in omega 3 and low in fat and cholesterol it’s the healthiest option. And I mean fish not shell fish.

4. Cooking oil and butter should also be chosen with great care. After all what is more important for us than the health and happiness of our loved ones. Canola oil, Sunflower seed oils Soybean oil are best cooking option and Olive oil tops the list. Try and stick to these for your cooking options. For simple stir fry Olive oil sprays are the best, less oil is used and it’s the healthiest food to eat.

Butter is available in so many options now from low fat to low salt, pick up any one from these, check the fat percentage on the butter and the salt content then buy it.

Avoid deep friend and highly salty food to the most; they are no good they will provide your body with nothing except cholesterol and blood pressure.

French fries need not be deep friend you can air fry or bake them; they taste as good and way healthier.

5. Dairy products are great source of calcium but till a certain age. For children in their growing years whole milk is good as it provides them the calcium their growing bodies need. But are we as active as children? If yes then you can have whole milk too but if the answer is no then please get milk 3% to 4% fat milk only for you. Milk, cheeses are good source of calcium and fat so pick up reduced fat milk and fat free cheese. Same way Mayonnaise taste yummy on sandwiches but it needed be full fat you have the option of buying fat fee or mint mayo for a healthier sandwich, mustard is a great option too low in fat and tastes super with your hot dogs and subs.

Very small changes can help us immensely, all you need to do is make small alterations and make your life fit and healthy. There is no harm in once in a way indulgence we all do it and we all love it. But once in a way, regularly if you follow a good lifestyle and cheat once in a while its justified and it will be worth it.  That is called guilt free indulgence!