Healthier options
Friday 27 January 2006
One misconception about eating healthily is that it means we can't enjoy some of our favourite foods.
As long as you get the balance right, healthier eating doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love.
I love chips
Chips are tasty all right, but the fact is that the way they are cooked means that they're not very good for you.
Instead of chips with a meal, why not give potato a go in another form.
Steamed new potatoes are tasty and much better for you. Jacket potatoes are another healthy alternative; top them off with delicious fillings like tuna or salad and you'll wonder what you ever saw in chips.
If you really have to have chips, then oven chips are a healthier option. Thick-cut chips are best because they absorb less fat than their skinny mates.
Why not turn to a snack that's not spud-related, but just as filling? Dunk strips of pitta bread into low-fat salsas or houmous to fill yourself up between meal times.
I love sweets and snacks
If you're the kind of person who likes to snack when you're feeling peckish during the day, make sure that you're not reaching for sweet, sugary foods or crisps.
Munching on nuts or dried fruit is a healthier option, and can be just as tasty.
Another way of snacking is to eat fresh fruit, but if you're after a more savoury taste, why not grab some raw carrot sticks or celery and give them a try?
Even a peanut butter and banana sandwich can give you loads of energy and mean you're not reaching for the sweeties.
Eating fruit is another good way of going for a healthier option, but if you're in a rush, why not whack all your favourites into a blender and make yourself a smoothie? Almost every combination tastes great, so there's no danger of getting bored.
Trying something a little different can out you on the path to eating healthily.
I love fizzy drinks
Fizzy drinks like cola may feel as if they give you an energy boost, but a healthier option would be to drink water or fruit juice.
Nutrition experts reckon that to stay healthy we should try to eat five portions of fruit and veg per day, and fruit juice can count as one of your portions of fruit.
To quench your thirst, give water or diluted fruit juice or squash a go.
Although diet drinks don't have sugar content of other fizzy drinks, they don't contain much in the way of nutrition either. Give flavoured milk a go if you fancy a change.
