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The healthy way to start your day

With so many superfoods, smoothies, low-fat recipes and healthy meals readily available at our fingertips, there is no excuse to not eat healthily. A healthy diet equals a healthy mind and those that wish to build up an active immune system can do so by changing a few things about their diet.

Low-fat recipes

Cutting down on the fat in our foods is a great way to avoid clogging up arteries, heart disease and sluggish behaviour. Every doctor and nutritionist will tell you that too much fat in our bodies is never a good thing.

A lot of people would say that our taste buds beg to differ and that fatty foods are in fact the best tasting dishes. This is, however, far from the truth and assortments of brands have released a number of taste-tantalising dishes that actually claim to be good for you.

The trick to a healthy body is balance. Controlling your intake of fast foods and replacing the occasional fat-filled meal with healthy home cooking is a great way to start. Getting involved in physical activities and exercise is also recommended and there are plenty of activities aimed at the family children will enjoy.

Cook with smart fats

Many healthy quick meals are in fact a lot easier than you may think. One way to avoid fatty substances is to replace them with “smart fats”. For example, when cooking at home it is wise to replace vegetable oil with canola oil or olive oil. A non-stick cooking spray is another alternative and a little amount will go along way. This small change won’t make a difference to the dish; it will however make a difference to your calorie intake.

Use low-fat cooking methods

There are arrays of cooking methods at our disposal, all of which boast healthier eating habits. Instead of frying your food, opt to steam, braise, poach or grill the substance. Microwaving is another option that boasts to cook a meal without the need for oil.

If there is no other option but to fry your food, begin by draining the meat of excess oils using kitchen roll. This should be completed prior to serving.

Deep-frying is in fact considered a healthier option as opposed to traditional frying. This is mainly due to the temperature of the oil: the hotter the oil, the less likely it is to penetrate the meat.

Choose alternative ingredients

Quick and easy recipes are easy to prepare and can be extremely healthy if you choose the right ingredients.

For examples, sausages are seen as relatively fattening. If you can’t live without them, choose turkey or chicken cuts as opposed to pork-based meat. Whilst on the subject of fry-ups, Canadian bacon is said to be a lot healthier than regular bacon – so perhaps consider making this change.

Stick to a plan

With late nights, hectic social hours and heavy workloads to contend with, it can sometimes be easier to pick up a takeaway meal or grab something easy and to hand at home. One way to avoid unhealthy slip-ups is to create a healthy eating plan that ensures you and your family are staying healthy at all times.

Healthy dishes can be created when you have the time and then frozen for convenience: simply defrost a pre-prepared meal as and when required. A healthy eating plan should revolve around fish, chicken and vegetables and, so that you don’t feel deprived, you should always assign one day a week as ‘treat night’ when you indulge in something with a higher fat content.