3 Unknown New Year Food Changes
I’m not a huge fan of big, elaborate New Year’s Resolutions. I think a lot of people set goals that are unsustainable and unrealistic. The end result being they are not able to maintain them, fall off the wagon and end up back exactly where they started (or even worse). A better approach is to pick a few more minor changes that are sustainable and concentrate on getting them right and sticking to them. And then of course you have the option of adding more changes into the mix down the line. But don’t try and change everything all in 1 go. Believe me, that’s a recipe for failure.
There are some really obvious changes you could make that I could talk about, but today I’m going to pick 3 more unknown ones. These are mistakes you could be making thinking you are actually being healthy. And changing these things won’t make any difference to your enjoyment of food. And as always the less you feel like you are giving stuff up and on a diet the more likely you are to stick to it. So here are 3 unknown New Year food changes you could have that would make a real impact on your health.
1/ Bananas
A subject of much controversy. Some diets tell you to cut them out totally. And the reality is there are a lot of other fruits that have significantly less calories, sugar and carbs in them than bananas. But they are also full of nutrients and are much more likely to fill you up than other fruit. In fact there are more and more studies showing a direct link between eating bananas and weight loss.
The reality is bananas are a healthy, filling and totally natural snack you can take anywhere. Making them the perfect choice for the busy person. And to be frank, no one ever became overweight from eating bananas.
BUT – Don’t mix it in your smoothies. There is new research showing you will be significantly reducing the positive effect of the antioxidants from stuff like berries if you add it to your smoothies. So eat them separately.
2/ Wholegrain Bread
Firstly, wholegrain is obviously better than white. Not just with bread but with all carbs. But the reality is, with a lot of commercial wholegrain bread, there is little or nothing wholegrain about the end product once it has been processed and pulverised during the manufacturing process. So even when it says wholegrain bread on the package, with most of the stuff you buy in the supermarket you will be getting little or no nutritional value from it. And therefore just like if you ate white bread, you will be eating a load of empty carbs and getting a big insulin spike from eating it. Which is something you definitely want to avoid.
So you have a few choices;
a/ Limit your bread intake if you are trying to lose weight. Regardless of how healthy and unprocessed it is, bread is still packed full of carbs and calories. And going wholegrain doesn’t save you any of these carbs or calories. So looking to move away from bread as an everyday choice and using other carbs such as sweet potato, lentils, bulgur wheat etc. would be a good move.
b/ Go to a health food shop and buy it. This way you know exactly what is going in it and there are no surprises. You will obviously pay a pretty penny for it this way though.
3/ Make your own. I have recently been bought a bread maker. With the kids eating bread all the time it’s something I want to learn to be able to do to make sure to make sure we end up with a totally natural, unprocessed product. Now I just have to learn how to use it…But if you can do this it would be the best option health wise.
Of course you don’t want to end up eating loads of bread as a result though so be careful!
3/ Soups
Soup is a great addition to your diet. It’s full of fibre, keeping you fuller for longer. Its generally calorie controlled, as the main ingredients are vegetables. It’s full of vitamins and minerals. And as it’s hot you eat it slower and actually know when you are full rather than overeating as a lot of people do.
But…you need to make it yourself if at all possible. The worst type is the tinned stuff. Have a look at the shelf life of those things, it can be up to a year. The only way to keep the product for that long without going off is by adding a load of preservatives, predominantly sodium. And they are usually full of sugar to boot as well. The ‘fresh’ stuff in the supermarket is a bit better but the same 2 salt/sugar issues apply. So if you want to get the maximum nutrition and minimum junk and preservatives from your soup, then make it yourself.
Top Tip – Too many people have just vegetable soup, or soup and bread for lunch. Where’s the protein? Try adding lentils, chickpeas or any type of pulse you fancy to the soup. It will add the protein you need and fill you up more.
Conclusion – 3 Unknown New Year Food Changes
Try implementing these 3 unknown new year food changes into your diet for the. You won’t feel like you are giving anything up, but will be making yourself a lot healthier (and leaner as well).