NUTRITIPS | EAT CLEAN AND HEALTHY IN FIVE EASY WAYS

With all the food and drink options available to us and so little time to prepare meals for ourselves, it can be easy to forget how simple it is feed your body the good stuff. Here are five tips to get you started:

1. Shop whole, unprocessed foods
   You can reduce sodium, sugar, and saturated fats on your diet by using whole, unprocessed foods to make your meal. For example, make soup from raw ingredients instead of reaching for its canned counterpart.When your diet consists mainly of whole foods, you tend to feel fuller and satiated after a meal. Most processed foods, even fridge staples such as sauces, condiments, and cold cut meats, tend to have added sugars and chemicals to make you food last longer, which can also cause you to crave more food even when your body knows it is full.

   If you decide to consume processed foods, try to choose products with naturally occurring ingredients.

2. Know what is in season
   Foods harvested in their peak season taste better, so there is less need to manipulate the flavour of the food with added salt, sugar, and fat. In-season fruits and vegetables naturally have higher amount of nutrients your body needs at that time of the year. Extended storage and transportation times can cause produce to lose phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals found in freshly harvested food.
3. Portion size
   Serve your meals on a smaller plate and frame your food in a way that looks appealing. Take the time to savour the food. This gives your body the time it needs to digest what you eat, and give you signals when you are full.
    
4. Snacking choices
   Getting hungry between meals is normal. Why deprive yourself of an afternoon snack when there are many healthy options to satisfy you? You can indulge on tasty snacks such as baked sweet potato fries or nachos without feeling guilty.Nuts, dried fruits and seeds are also a guaranteed quick way to keep you full until your next meal, but watch how much you eat; these are high in calories.
5. Cooking methods
   Longer cooking times destroy more nutrients in the food, and so introducing more raw foods in your diet will increase your vitamins, minerals, and fibre intake. While food in its raw form is powerful, cooking certain foods can boost its nutrients which our body needs. Antioxidants in foods like spinach, peppers, and carrots are said to be enhanced with cooking.Some of the best ways to cook your food include stir-frying, steaming, and grilling. These methods cook your food in less times, giving you a more delicious and nutritious meal.

   These three cooking methods can be combined with one powerful tool in your kitchen, the Nutrigrill® Electric Table Top Barbecue. Cooking your food on a Nutrigrill® speeds up the process without sacrificing the flavour of your dish. Get more information on the Nutrigrill® here.