If you’re looking for easy ways to improve your family’s health, there’s no better place to start than in the kitchen. In fact the food you eat is perhaps the biggest factor in creating a healthy lifestyle. Eating the right foods can benefit every part of your body from promoting healthy skin and nails to maintaining a healthy heart and strong immune system.
If you prepare your own food, rather than relying on ready meals and takeaways, you’re already on the right track. But there are many simple changes you can introduce when cooking to make your diet even healthier. Here are seven ideas to try:
Get Grilling
When cooking meat, fish or vegetables try grilling rather than frying and you won’t need to use as much fat.
Savvy Seasoning
Too much salt in our diet can cause a range of health problems so add herbs or lemon juice for flavour rather than salt.
Extra Veggies
Serve one extra vegetable with each meal to boost your vitamin intake.
Cut the Fat
When cooking meat remember to trim off any excess fat for a healthier dish.
Steamy Stuff
Boost your vitamins – steaming rather than boiling helps vegetables maintain their vitamin levels. You may also find steamed veggies retain more flavour too.
Go Brown
Choose brown versions of everyday staples such as bread, rice and pasta which are healthier than the refined white options.
Keep it Varied
Don’t stick to the same ingredients day in day out; instead use a wide range of ingredients to ensure you are getting a balanced diet.
For more healthy tips, visit: www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx