Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard, with a few healthy food hacks, you’ll be on your way to better health in no time!
We all have our go-to foods! Whether that be the food for an easy dinner or quick snack, not all of our habits are that good for us! So here are a few healthy food hacks that will make your 2018 one of the easiest yet to making sure you eat clean and get the results you want without falling into our bad food habits.
Frozen
My first healthy food hack might be an obvious one to some of you, but you’d be surprised how many people have never considered it: frozen fruit and vegetables. These are available everywhere and are often a cheaper alternative to the fresh more expensive option. There is an argument that freezing fruit and vegetables loses some of the goodness. I haven’t come across any scientific evidence that proves this, but I have found the opposite due to some fresh, unfrozen produce being sprayed with chemicals to make sure it lasts the journey. It’s worth checking the labels to know what your local grocer allows in the produce section. If your fruit and vegetables are frozen at the source, the goodness gets locked in and stays super fresh, but if, like me, you’re a big smoothie fan then the frozen fruit and vegetable is a really simple way of making the smoothie lovely and thick as well as cold.
Kiwi
My second healthy food hack is to eat more kiwi fruit! Now, this is as easy as buying frozen fruit in my eyes, but that’s because I love kiwis. Numerous studies have shown that the kiwi fruit is one of life’s true superfoods, containing more vitamin C than oranges, more dietary fiber than bananas, and have even been proven to increase sleep length and quality if two kiwi fruits are eaten before going to bed.
Be Prepared
The third healthy food hack is to prepare like a boss. Now this hack isn’t my own but is one that Joe Wicks (an English chef and fitness coach) who is known for his Lean in 15 cookbooks. He isn’t a vegan, but he and I do agree on prepping. Every Sunday I like to get my bento lunch boxes ready and fill them with deliciousness. Not only is this good for keeping costs down, but it helps for keeping me on track and making sure I hit my nutritional goals for the day. When I am making my meals, I like to keep Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen in mind. If I find I am not getting enough from food alone, then supplementation is a great way to keep these goals going.
New Food
The fourth healthy food hack is a bit bizarre, but I highly suggest you giving it a go. If you do start prepping your food on a Sunday night, try and make something new from scratch. This is a really fun and often simple way of introducing a new skill into your kitchen life. For me, my favorite making-from-scratch venture was making hummus. Now, I do it every single week. It saves me money, I can try new flavors, and I can make it exactly how I like it. Not only this, but it’s also really helped me understand how foods go together, how spices work, and the importance of seasoning. Learning a new skill adds dimension and nutrients to your diet.
Buddy System
Cook with a friend. My parents were chefs, and I have spent my whole life utterly spoiled in the best ways by food. Once I moved out, I found it very hard to cook on my own. FaceTime was good, but I found it difficult explaining tastes and smells to them. Now, my kitchen companion is my girlfriend. Together, we have made some stunning food, all because we have cooked and planned meals together. In the case of healthy, honest food, two brains are definitely better than one.
I hope you get some use from the five food hacks throughout January and the rest of the year!
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