Every day we have the chance to nourish our bodies the right way. It’s incredible how our bodies have the ability to recover on a daily basis. All we have to do is give it the right tools, the right nutrients. And what does that mean? It comes down to making the right food choices. Not only about whether something has too many calories or if it will end up in little extra love handles.
There’s a lot more to picking the right meals and snacks than calories. As a matter of fact, I’ll go as far as to tell you that calories really don’t matter at all. Think about it, a dish rich in avocados will have a high amount of calories and could even be as high as a burger. But we can’t see them that same way. When it comes to calories, the comparison between foods is not an apples to apples situation. Which is why calories should not be the main criteria. Instead, here’s an easy guide on what to look for when making food choices.
Fresh and homemade is always the way to go
Even when you want to be “bad” and eat pizza or a burger, it’s always best to make it yourself. That way, you can control what you put into your foods. No preservatives. Just fresh ingredients. And that’s exactly the problem with processed foods. As we know, foods don’t stay fresh for that long. Which is why when something lasts for more than a few days (and if it comes in a package), it usually comes with a nice little list of ingredients to help preserve the food.
The more colorful your foods, the more nutrients you get
When choosing what to cook or add to your plate, the more colors you go for, the better. What gives natural foods their beautiful colors like the vibrant greens, oranges, reds, and purples, are known as phytonutrients. They not only make foods visually attractive, but also are packed with benefits for the body. And the more you switch up your colors, the more nutrients you are able to provide your body with.
When it does come in a package, always read the list of ingredients
Realistically speaking, it’s almost impossible to not every now and then eat something that comes in a package or can. And that’s alright, but just make sure that you are always aware of all the ingredients that went into that product. You can easily do this by reading the list of ingredients. The ingredients on the label are always listed in order of most found in the product to the least. Keep this tip in mind my dear nutrinutters. Also remember that if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it may be time to rethink if that’s something you want inside your body.
Less is definitely more when talking about sugar
You can know how much sugar a product has by looking at the nutrition facts under ‘sugar’. But this doesn’t tell you the full story. You see, the amount of grams of sugar in a product includes not only what is added to sweeten it, but also if there’s any natural sugars (like fruit), combining it all together to give you that final number. And of course I am going to teach you a neat trick to tell the natural sugars from added sugars. Once again, the answer is in the list of ingredients. Check how many times sugar shows up on the list. You’ll be surprised how many times you can find sugar incognito.
So there you have it. A little something to think about, that has nothing to do with calories. Simple tips that if you are able to follow, you’ll be doing your body wonders. Nourishing it the right way.
Until next time!
