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HEALTHY NUTRITION IN EVERYDAY LIFE – helpful everyday tips for a conscious and healthy diet – I recently decided to have some fun and count how many hours I spend at home on average each week, excluding sleep. There were weeks with less than 5 hours, and others where I managed a maximum of 13 hours. That was more than that. The rest of the time, I'm usually sprinting from appointment A to B, C, and D, forgetting what day of the week it is, my mind mostly everywhere but with myself. All of this is combined with fun and usually delicious food, but also often without the necessary awareness of my own body, daily routine, and how I manage both together. When things finally calm down, I'm often overwhelmed by how to eat sensibly, healthily, and yet efficiently at home. I've tried the following tips and tricks and, despite the time pressure, they've all worked well for me. Here are my tips for healthy eating in a (stressful) everyday life.
Why not do some shopping at the weekly market?.
Healthy eating in everyday life: Shopping and cooking
The most important thing is „"Buy supplies"“. Having a pantry stocked up protects you from those sudden cravings that demand a quick fix, and usually not with healthy food. Furthermore, a well-stocked pantry saves time and money. Legumes like lentils, beans, and chickpeas are always good to keep. Muesli, oatmeal, and whole-grain rice, pasta, and flour can also be stored and used in healthy meals. Sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds are great for snacking when you're in a real hurry. High-quality oil and dried herbs are also essential in any pantry. Never go shopping without a shopping list. What happens, then? – You grab some cookies here, some ice cream there, and some discounted chips over there, buying far more than you need or want. Write down the quantity of each item before you even leave. Even if a big bag of potatoes, a kilo of carrots, or a 12-pack of apples might seem cheaper when you break it down, you'll still end up wasting money on food that's gone bad from sitting in the fridge for too long. So buy exactly what you need. It's better to go to the supermarket more often for smaller quantities..(Depending on where you live, it also makes sense.) Market days to be noted. Where is there a fresh market in your neighborhood where the produce is of high quality and affordable?
Quick to prepare and super healthy.
What I don't enjoy much, but which always helps when needed, is „"Meal Prepping"“. So, planning and preparing meals. Creating a meal plan like "Monday to Sunday I eat:…" might not be the most fun, but it ultimately saves time, money, and trips to the supermarket. As I mentioned, I often only spend a few hours and very few evenings at home, but these evenings always go better if I've thought about my dinner beforehand. If you don't have any ideas about what you like to eat when, just... Theme days"Monday - vegetables; Tuesday - pasta; Wednesday - meat; etc.".
Those who are completely in the dark can simply orient themselves a little by looking to nature. What does the respective season and time of year just started and what is regionally typical, high-quality And easy to get? – And then you grab what you can. Strawberries in December or watermelon in January? – Not good. So it makes little sense to have certain foods shipped thousands of kilometers back home only to buy them at inflated prices. Find out what's in season and which local shop is likely to specialize in it. For example, parsnips, salsify, all kinds of beets, and much more are grown here. A tip that everyone has probably heard before: „"Cook more, freeze the leftovers!"“ This certainly doesn't work for every dish, but this tip is helpful even if dinner turns into lunch the next day due to larger quantities. Throwing things away is never a good idea, but cooking in portions makes sense (…and some dishes taste even better reheated the next day anyway, right? 😉
What has often saved me from "food cravings" is my „"Emergency recipe"“ For example, for long Sunday evenings. This ties in a bit with my first tip: Always have something at home that you can quickly whip up as an "emergency meal." It could be muesli, milk, and some fruit; pasta and a healthy vegetable sauce (even from the freezer after cooking, if necessary); or anything else you enjoy. The main thing is that it's readily available in your mind as soon as that "wild and merciless craving" strikes. It often works for me.
Also popular and easy to make: smoothies
Healthy cooking in everyday life with these tips
Many things matter when cooking. Ultimately, it should taste good, be relatively quick to prepare (depending on the occasion), economical – see above – and, of course, healthy. Many people opt for organic products, which isn't mandatory, but is certainly a healthy way to eat. If you choose this type of diet, then ecological and sustainable preparation is essential. So, how should you cook and prepare your food? Definitely cook with... little salt. Without realizing it, we consume far too much salt. We only need about five grams per day. A slice of bread with sausage, for example, contains half our daily requirement, and industrially processed foods like cheese, sausage, and ready-made meals also contain high amounts of salt. So, be careful about adding salt manually. prefer fresh or dried herbs back. Healthy cooking is often not possible without the Addition of fat. Fat provides valuable energy, and the absorption of certain vitamins also only works through fat absorption. As adults, we need 60-80 grams of fat per day. However, not all fats are created equal; there are good and bad fats. Chips and fries are not good choices, while unsaturated fats (e.g., in avocados, peanuts, olive oil, etc.) help keep blood sugar levels stable and also facilitate vitamin absorption. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—also very important for a healthy diet—can be found in walnuts, oily fish, rapeseed oil, and even chia seeds and similar foods. So pay attention to the fat content of your diet. Type and amount of fat, that you consume. This also includes the Replacing unhealthy fats. Not all fat needs to be replaced when cooking. For example, pat fried and deep-fried foods dry with a kitchen towel before eating, or try making your sauces with a base of milk, pureed vegetables, yogurt, or even orange juice instead of fat. This can save you up to six grams of fat, and it tastes just as good.
Leftover use: Quick and tasty
Another topic is to steam food. It doesn't always have to be hot oil or sizzling butter in the pan for meat, fish, and vegetables. Try steaming your vegetables. You'll save 12 grams of fat for every tablespoon of fat you would otherwise use in the pan. Furthermore, the gentle cooking process at low temperatures ensures that all the vitamins and the intense natural flavor of each ingredient are preserved. Light meat with vegetables is quick and very healthy. Time simply plays a crucial role in today's world. That's why it's worth it. Investing in high-quality kitchen appliances, Save time. Slow cookers are excellent for preparing meals that need to be ready in the evening, for example, without having to stand by them the whole time. The same goes for blenders and smoothie makers, which require nothing more than a lot of fresh fruit and/or vegetables to blend into a smooth smoothie. (Keep an eye on electricity consumption. Small appliances account for roughly 201,030 of your monthly electricity bill.) Tip 17c from the household help section: Take no pots smaller than the hob plates They're here now. This wastes a lot of energy, as much heat is lost. A pressure cooker is an ideal energy saver (up to 50%). However, if a recipe suggests both pan-frying and oven-baking, the Pans are always the energy-saving solution (1/5 less energy). It also makes sense to invest in a knife once in your life – depending on the knife. high-quality knife set Investing in it saves time, makes preparation easier and ultimately makes the food look more appealing.
Food trends in the kitchen and at the stove
Store non-perishable food items in advance.
Anyone who knows their way around the kitchen will also be familiar with this trend. One Pot Meals It's becoming increasingly common. Here, all the necessary ingredients for a dish are cooked in a single pot. Everything is prepared so that it's ready to serve at the same time – all from one pot. A little practice is required, but it's a trend that saves time (and dishes) and encourages experimentation. No waste cooking "Leftover cooking" or "zero-waste cooking" is also very popular. Vegetables can become soup or pasta sauce the next day, cooked rice and pasta taste great in stir-fries, and experienced cooks are increasingly using all of their meat and fish. Even stale bread can be transformed into croutons, and overripe fruit, like bananas, can be used as a base for pancakes or banana bread. Very little has to end up in the trash. So be open-minded and research what you can cook with your seemingly "unusable leftovers.". Eat vegetables with the peel on This is also popular and completely safe with untreated vegetables. Simply cut away the brown spots and save yourself the time of peeling. An added bonus is that most of the vitamins in many vegetables are found in the peel. Also popular are... „"simpler food trends"“ Examples include "mixing your own muesli and granola," "buying fruit at the farmers' market and not in the supermarket," "eating less meat and, for example, more protein-rich legumes," and also storing potatoes. Otherwise, the trend is increasing towards "„"Eat healthy food"“ steadily increasing. A conscious approach to food combined with transparency is often already a prerequisite in this context and is increasingly practiced and embraced by young people.
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Healthy eating, cooking, and shopping in everyday life
Even more comprehensive tips on healthy eating, as well as a
Comparisons of "normal" and "organic" products can sometimes be found here. here.
Salim
Hello Bianca,
I find your blog very informative and helpful.
I will definitely try the method of steaming instead of using oil soon.
About two years ago I completely changed my diet and I am very positively impressed.
Not only do I feel fitter, but my immune system has also become stronger.
I used to get sick a lot, especially in winter. However, since changing my diet, this is hardly ever the case anymore.
Initially it's a challenge, but then it becomes pure routine.
Just do it.