How many times have you decided to go on a diet and haven’t been able to follow through with it because you thought you could only eat a salad or a bland soup? Gone are the days when eating healthy meant only eating raw or boiled food. Dieting doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself and it definitely doesn’t mean you should feel like you are punishing yourself. Eating healthy should not and is not restrictive. In fact, if you are able to make your eating habits right, it will become a lifestyle for you. Here are a few ways that you can make healthy food delicious too.
- Add seasonal fruits and vegetables-The more variety you have to choose from, the less bored you will get with the food you eat. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are excellent ingredients for your meals. They can be incorporated into your diet in multiple ways and tend to have fewer preservatives since they are freshly harvested. Obviously, they taste better and are healthier than the frozen alternatives. Seasonal fruits like strawberries can be used in making healthy smoothies or sorbets to satisfy your dessert cravings.
- Think beyond salt and sugar-The right seasoning can enhance the flavour of a dish significantly. While on a diet, if you are supposed to cut down on salt, it doesn’t mean you have to eat bland food. Use fresh herbs like parsley, coriander, dill, etc while preparing your meals. Also fail-sales herbs like oregano, thyme are available in every store which you can sprinkle on top of any salad or meal. Similarly, instead of sugar, you can add honey or jaggery to your cookies or cakes. Incorporating fruits that have natural sweetness is also a good alternative
- Use different techniques of cooking-Just because you have been told to not use oil in cooking doesn’t mean your food has to be raw or boiled. You can use different methods to prepare your meals. Blanche your veggies to get them just cooked while still maintaining the right amount of crunch to it. Similarly, you can sauté your veggies and grill your meats to enjoy a healthy as well as tasty meal
- Don’t ignore healthy fats-While on a diet, you can not abandon any nutrient completely. It is not healthy or sustainable. That holds true for fats as well. You can use olive oil or sesame oil to sauté or cook your vegetable instead of regular oil. Similarly, a teaspoon of ghee gives you the desired fat as well makes your meal tastier.
- Find the right alternatives-With the increasing focus on health, now there are various options to choose from. You just have to find the one that suits your needs and palate the best. Do not be afraid to try something new. Are you fond of a buttered toast in the morning? Then switch to nut butters. Peanut butter is a great alternative for regular butter and can be added in meal preparations too. Similarly, you can switch from all purpose flour to whole wheat flour or gluten-free flours like jowar and bajra as well.
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