Will you make healthier decisions when you make your next trip to the grocery store? For many of us, our busy on-the-go schedules makes it challenging to make healthy choices.
Take heed to some of these practical tips for making healthier choices when you choose your next lunch or snack item: 1.
If you must choose frozen meals, choose those that contain less than 750 milligrams of sodium per serving instead of the high-sodium varieties.
This is one-third of the sodium most people should have in a day which makes it a reasonable amount for a meal.
Pay attention to the serving sizes since some varieties are meant to serve more than one person-don't allow yourself to unknowingly overeat.
2.
If ice cream is your choice for snacking try to choose light ice cream instead of the full-fat variety.
The latter contains 19 percent of the fat that you should have in an entire day, assuming you stick to the half-cup serving size.
But when the willpower starts to diminish because the tasty chocolate chips or caramel is simply too good to stop the spoon from going toward your mouth, this half-cup serving size starts to seem like a joke.
By selecting fruit juice bars or other pre-portioned varieties, portion control becomes a lot easier.
3.
Fresh is always better than frozen or canned, but if you still eat canned veggies, choose the kind with no salt added or reduced salt, and choose soups that contain less than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.
If you are eating canned fruit, choose the kind that is packed in its own juice or light syrup instead of heavy syrup.
4.
If you use shortening or lard to cook some of your foods, replace it with any oil that is liquid at room temperature.
Sesame, peanut, olive and canola oil are all healthier choices since oils that are solid at room temperature are generally high in saturated fat which can lead to clogged arteries.
Try using non-fat cooking spray for stove top cooking and replacing part of the oil with applesauce when you bake.
For more tips on healthier eating habits and motivation to exercise, check out the E-book "Get Motivated! 10 Strategies to Stop Procrastinating and Become Your Healthiest Today"
Take heed to some of these practical tips for making healthier choices when you choose your next lunch or snack item: 1.
If you must choose frozen meals, choose those that contain less than 750 milligrams of sodium per serving instead of the high-sodium varieties.
This is one-third of the sodium most people should have in a day which makes it a reasonable amount for a meal.
Pay attention to the serving sizes since some varieties are meant to serve more than one person-don't allow yourself to unknowingly overeat.
2.
If ice cream is your choice for snacking try to choose light ice cream instead of the full-fat variety.
The latter contains 19 percent of the fat that you should have in an entire day, assuming you stick to the half-cup serving size.
But when the willpower starts to diminish because the tasty chocolate chips or caramel is simply too good to stop the spoon from going toward your mouth, this half-cup serving size starts to seem like a joke.
By selecting fruit juice bars or other pre-portioned varieties, portion control becomes a lot easier.
3.
Fresh is always better than frozen or canned, but if you still eat canned veggies, choose the kind with no salt added or reduced salt, and choose soups that contain less than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.
If you are eating canned fruit, choose the kind that is packed in its own juice or light syrup instead of heavy syrup.
4.
If you use shortening or lard to cook some of your foods, replace it with any oil that is liquid at room temperature.
Sesame, peanut, olive and canola oil are all healthier choices since oils that are solid at room temperature are generally high in saturated fat which can lead to clogged arteries.
Try using non-fat cooking spray for stove top cooking and replacing part of the oil with applesauce when you bake.
For more tips on healthier eating habits and motivation to exercise, check out the E-book "Get Motivated! 10 Strategies to Stop Procrastinating and Become Your Healthiest Today"
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