The Healthy Eating Guide

We use lots of self-justification to explain why we are not eating a healthy diet, even though healthy eating guidelines are to be found everywhere. Perhaps the most common excuse is that we are just too busy and too stressed to think about choosing a whole pile of suitable foods to make one of those boring healthy eating recipes. Then we go and pick up a ready meal or fast-food as if to justify our lack of time abandoning all thoughts of healthier foods. This compounds the problem because these meals are generally full of saturated fats, sugar, salt and cholesterol. The good news is that even if you only have a very limited amount of time you can still eat healthily without spending all day in the kitchen. It just takes a bit of planning.

Food shopping is not the greatest of experiences, in fact most of us dash round the supermarket at break neck speed throwing all sorts into the trolley. To eat healthy you need good ingredients and that means shopping sensibly. Take a little time and plan your meals for the next couple of weeks, bearing in mind your work and social commitments. You need good quality ingredients to have a good diet so make sure you always buy the best you can afford and take advantage of the specials that abound in the stores today. By planning ahead you know what you need so you can take advantage of bulk buys as well. Make your shopping list when you have time to concentrate on it, that way you don’t forget anything and you are not tempted to just pick random items off the shelf ‘just in case’. By doing that you don’t have to dash into the supermarket every day, in fact all you need to do is pick up fresh fruit and vegetables every couple of days. Not only does it save you time but by avoiding multiple trips to the store you don’t pick up all those last minute ‘impulse buys’.

If you shop ahead, you can also cook ahead. If you make a pasta sauce, chili, casserole or soup to name but a few dishes, make more than you need and freeze it in sensible sized portions. Then on days when you know you are going to be under pressure you just take out the frozen, home-made ready meal and put it in the refrigerator to thaw ready for when you get home. Far better than grabbing a burger and fries on the way home.

If you do have to go for the fast food option once in a while, don’t beat yourself up over it just try and choose the healthier options - chicken breast instead of burger, a lovely crisp green salad instead of greasy fries. Good quality sandwiches can often be your savior here, especially if you can choose the type of bread as well as the fillings - and go easy on the dressings.

When you stick to good healthy eating guidelines you feel much better, and you don’t get stressed so easily, so the time spent planning and shopping is more than repaid and is certainly not wasted. Choose good tasty recipes like the ones you find on this site and you won’t go far wrong - and you won’t need lots of time you can ill afford.

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