As we continue to celebrate National Nutrition Month here at GA Foods, we want to help spread the word about healthy eating!
A healthy lifestyle must include meal planning, which helps you eat healthier in the long term. The first step to meal planning is understanding the kinds of foods you should have on hand.Here are some tips for building a healthy meal:
The next step in meal planning is creating a shopping list. You are more likely to eat healthy foods if available at home. To prepare balanced healthy meals you need the right ingredients. Preparing a shopping list before going to the store also helps you stay on task. Here are a few tips to create your own shopping list:
- Include whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat bread
- Include fresh vegetables of the season
- Include frozen or canned vegetable
- Include fresh fruit
- Include frozen or canned fruit
- Include low-fat or fat-free dairy such as yogurt or milk
- Include oats, whole oats, or low sugar instant oatmeal packets
- Include dry or no salt added canned beans and lentils
- Include olive oil
- Include seasonings like garlic and onion powder
- Include lean meats such as chicken and fish
- Include nuts and seeds, and nut butters
- Include healthy read- to-eat snacks like no sugar added applesauce and dried fruits
Proper portion size isn’t intuitive. With restaurant meals being so large and food manufacturers often downplaying the amount of food in a serving, it can be hard to know just how much you’re supposed to eat. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution - grab your measuring cups!
National Nutrition Month® is a great time to start paying attention to just how much you should be eating. A serving of vegetables is about a half cup, or a cup of uncooked greens. Starches, grains, beans, and peas can also be measured in half cup servings. After a few weeks of measuring, you’ll be a pro at portions!
Enjoy Every Bite!
Eating dinner while driving, and snacking while watching TV may be convenient, but they’re not the healthiest ways to enjoy a meal. These types of distracted munching can lead to overeating and misreading hunger cues. You may even train yourself to eat whenever you watch TV without even realizing it!
Instead, sit down at a table to eat and actively participate in the meal without external distractions. Be sure to chew your food thoroughly, and if you’re eating with your family or friends, engage in a conversation between bites. The added time and attention between bites should allow your body to register what you’re eating, so you’ll realize when you’re full sooner.
If you or a loved one cannot shop or prepare meals, you may be eligible to receive home-delivered meals.
For more tips on healthy grocery shopping, download our guide below!
