Alright, you’ve made up your mind to start making healthy food choices from now on for better health and fitness. But the problem is it may not be so easy to make the transition to healthy food in Singapore, a society that exalts oily, fried and fast foods as being more tasty. But with these 4 easy steps, you and your family could be feasting on fresh food for health before you know it.
1. Find and substitute with healthier alternatives In Singapore, there are so many delicious, yummy cuisines and foods to eat out there at the hawker centres, restaurants and eating places. So prepare yourself for a gastronomical adventure to discover new, exciting and healthier alternatives to the foods you have been eating. Make a list of common food items which has high calories or considered not-so-healthy which you want to change. The key is to start easy by changing one food item at a time. Once you’ve substituted and is comfortable with the new healthier version, move on to conquer the next item on your food list. Here are some examples. You may like to eat pisang goreng or fried banana. But it is definitely not healthy eating due to the deep frying. You can replace pisang goreng with eating fresh bananas instead.
For drinks, you may be taking pasteurized carrot juice filled with artificial sweeteners. Why not replace it with fresh carrot juice or eating raw carrots? Instead of taking carbonated drinks or carton-juice from the supermarket, why not buy a good juicer and start making fresh fruit drinks? Start to get creative and prepare some nourishing healthy recipes that your family may like. Feel confident about your healthy food choices and enthusiastic about the adventure you’ve embarked. Get out there and introduce the healthier food versions to your friends and family members. Know that healthy food can taste good and that will make you feel good too. So get started and make it happen.
2. Take some raw foods during each meal Make it a point to add some healthy option during each meal by adding some raw vegetables and fruits. When you are eating out, ask for more vegetables in the dish you order. Ensure you take fresh fruits for desserts or snacks. You can either take raw veggies (as salads) and fruits or you can drink them as delicious juices. Organise and plan your meals to save time. For example, you can plan and prepare some healthy food like salads to last a few days so there is less work for you. Organize your weekly healthy eating plans so you don’t have to think the next time you go for grocery shopping.
3. Keep trying and changing your healthy food choices Be willing to experiment and keep trying out new recipes of healthier option. For example, instead of wrapping tuna with white bread, try to use greens such as cabbage as wraps. The only way to break out of the junk food trap is through the fresh food way. Know in yourself you have so much to gain by being persistent. Do not compromise on your own health and well-being just because your friends or family may not understand or are not interested to follow. Ultimately, they will when they can see the results you’ve achieved. In the meantime, keep them interested by discovering new healthier foods that they may like to eat.
4. Allow old treats occasionally Besides taking easy slow steps to change your eating habits, the trick to successfully switch to healthy eating habit is to still allow yourself some old treats during the transition. If you cut off totally from eating the foods you’ve come to know and love all these years, you may find yourself back to where you started. This is because the harder you try to avoid those old treats, the harder to avoid and you’ll end up wanting more of it! Therefore, you can still allow yourself some old treats during special occasions or during weekends.
It is not necessary to have a total ban as your body is able to handle an occasional intake of high calories or unhealthy foods. The most effective way is to go slow and keep to your plan to transition to healthy food for the long haul. Make the transition to healthy foods fun and appealing for you and your family. Understand that the transition will take time and people’s habits and cravings will change over time. Over time, the senses can be nimprove to crave for and enjoy healthier foods. Do you have any difficulties when you transition to health food versions and how do you overcome the challenges?