1. NEVER Skip Breakfast
That does not go to say help yourself to a heavy fry-up every morning, but a healthy breakfast containing lots of fibre and not much fat, sugar and salt is one of the best ways to start shaping a balanced diet. Think wholegrain, low-sugar cereal or porridge or a seeded bagel with pieces of fruit.
2. Eat more slowly
One way of managing and preventing overeating is to eat main meals more slowly. It takes time for food to stretch the stomach and let your brain know you are full. By eating too quickly it is easy to continue to eat beyond the point where your hunger has already been satisfied.
3. Eat plenty of fruit and veg
It is easier than you might think to reach and exceed the ‘Five-a-day’ we often hear about. We often cook meals using a fruit or vegetable such as tomatoes and a glass of juice (apple, orange it doesn’t matter) is likely to already be a part of a lot of people’s diets. Top that up with an extra chopped vegetable in one or two of your main meals (something you enjoy or don’t mind eating like carrots, broccoli, beetroot, cucumber etc.) and a piece of fruit with each meal and you’re there!
4. Eat more fish, especially oily fish
Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which help lower cholesterol, so help to protect your heart. Oily fish include:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Trout
5. Prioritise drinking water
It is difficult to keep count of how many of the recommended 6-8 glasses we get through in a day. A useful tip is to get yourself a reusable bottle that you know is 500ml, 1L or whatever it might be. Make it a goal to finish 2-3 bottles every day and make sure the majority of what you drink in a day is just water and not any other drink – this is a great way of reducing your daily sugar intake because drinks and juices can be very high in both sugar and calories when totalled over the course of the day.
