The first month of any year is spent making New Year resolutions like losing weight, eating healthy, and so on. While we stick to such resolutions for a few weeks at the max, laziness, lack of focus and busy schedules sway us away from our plans and we end up worse than before.
Worry not; it doesn’t happen only to you! If you were to conduct a survey (as is done for everything nowadays) I’m sure it’s the same with at least 80% of us. Now you can heave a sigh of relief!
Back to the topic, we hereby give you seven healthy food habits which you can follow as a part of your daily routine. No sweating it out, no extra effort! Just those little some things you can follow without lifting a finger.
Food Habits to Stay Healthy
1) Have an early dinner
Right from your Grandma to health magazines, didn’t someone always tell you this? It’s important to have an early dinner a few hours before going to bed. This would leave your stomach with just the right load – not heavy and you wake up feeling hungry and light for breakfast.
Tips
- Feel hungry at your office? Just munch on a small snack before you leave, so that you can have a light dinner when you reach home.
- Make sure you go to bed, three hours after your last meal.
2) Good breakfast is a must
Studies have shown that a healthy breakfast helps you make good food choices throughout the day, thereby aiding your weight loss goals besides keeping you fit. You can have a filling and healthy breakfast( like poha, or idlis and sambar) which will keep your energy levels soaring and reduce hunger for the rest of the day.
Tips
- Having a fruit or smoothie during breakfast helps provide the right balance of nutrients.
- Try a different breakfast idea daily for the right nutrition for your body.
3) Soups for dinner
Many sportspersons actually swear by it! Having soups for dinner is the best way to stay full. You can add any solids (noodles or chicken) you like to it as garnish, and keep eating till you feel full, since it’s much lesser on calories.
It leaves you satiated and also the warmth helps you sleep well. A win-win situation!
Tips
- Pair your soup with multigrain bread if you still feel hungry. Taste bhi, health bhi!!
- A soup paired with a healthy fruit salad is a right balance of sweet and salt, and makes up for dessert too.
4) Chew it up!
I’m sure you must have heard this right from your kindergarten and we repeat it again. Chew your food slowly and enjoy every morsel. Your digestive system will work less on the breakdown of food and you won’t feel hungry soon. What’s more your body gets to absorb maximum nutrients. We tend to gulp down food in a hurry, but it’s a big no-no from food experts, so go by them.
Tip
- No tip, you always knew chewing right is important, right?
5) Eat a no-rush, hearty meal
Never, ever eat a meal in a hurry, standing up! Sit down, find a calm place and eat slowly and take your time. Remember it takes 20 minutes for the brain to know the stomach is full, so give your body time. It’s worth it, spending that time, honestly!
Tip
- Never watch television or your mobile while eating, you tend to gulp more! Concentrate on your food.
6) Shop wisely
The place where our diet actually goes for a toss is the food alley of the supermarket. Shop wisely and avoid junk. Always plan out healthy meals in your mind and shop only for those ingredients so that you don’t end up binge shopping for junk food.
Tip
- Shop on a full stomach, you tend to add less junk food to your cart.
Try shopping for organic food from stores like Big Basket which help you save in a big way with the best deals.
7) Evaluate food habits
Identify where you are going wrong and list them out. It could be snacking during TV time, or finishing up your toddlers fries or plain unnecessary snacking! It’s easy to start cutting down on bad food habits once you’ve identified them.
Tip
- Feel like snacking? Always have a regular supply of sprouts, fruits or even nuts at hand for a healthy snack.
Hope you benefit from these small tips which help you understand food habits to stay healthy. Go for it, and you will notice the difference shortly!