5 Tips and Tricks for Healthy Eating

It's that time a year again, when sweets and treats are everywhere we look. Here are some 5 simple tips and tricks for healthy eating:

• Each meal should consist of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fats (oils, nuts, seeds, fish, etc.). Avoid hydrogenated fats. Use butter instead of shortening to make your pies. 

• Your body protects itself from substances it doesn't recognize as food (i.e. sugar) by turning it into fat. This is why it's more important what you eat, than how much. Try only using half as much sugar in your desserts and limit yourself to just one. I like to try just one or two bites. Also use 1% milk when recipes call for cream, to reduce fat content.

• On-and-off dieting is hard on your body. Commit to eating healthy, and you'll never need another fad diet.

• Check out eatbydate.com to really understand how long your food lasts. No more wasting food that's past it's "best by" date but still good.

• Trying to eat healthy on a budget? Try less trips to the store. Plan for going to the store once every one or two weeks. Eat the foods that goes bad first. Here's some suggestions to help: Eat spinach and butter crunch lettuce first (lasts 3-5 days), then romaine (lasts 7-10 days), then kale and broccoli spears (lasts 1-2 weeks), and finally cabbage and cauliflower (lasts 7-21 days). To top your salads, try pairing them with these fruits: Bananas, strawberries, (last 2-3 days), then peaches (last 3-5 days), blueberries and grapes (last 5-7 days), avocados (last 7-10 days), and apples and oranges (last 7-21 days).

Every meal, try to balance your foods and proportion your plate like this:

Add a tablespoon of healthy fat and a fruit for dessert.

More sources for eating healthy: eatingwell.com, quickanddirtytips.com, nutritionovereasy.com, emeals.com, yummly.com, and Nutrition Diva podcast.

Have any more tips for healthy eating? I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below.