Healthy meal ideas
If you are looking for healthy meal ideas, you are not alone. Many people are taking control of their health, learning how to prevent chronic and life-threatening diseases, and living longer, healthier lives. Here are a couple of popular menus, along with tips to make them healthier, without sacrificing taste.
Steak and baked potato
Although still a favorite with many, the ever-popular beef steak is not the best option for anyone who wants to live a long life free of chronic disease. A good alternative is a salmon fillet and a baked sweet potato or yam.
Salmon is delicious and is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart and circulatory system health. Beef steak contains some omega-3s, but the omega-6 concentration is much higher.
A higher intake of omega-6, combined with a low intake of omega-3, causes chronic or systematic inflammation, which influences heart disease and cancer.
The omega-3 found in beef is not the same as that found in salmon and other types of fatty fish. In fact, fish and shellfish are the only dietary sources of DHA and EPA, two of the most important omega-3s.
You will see that yams replace white potatoes in many healthy meal ideas. Although the white potato is low in fat and has some nutritional value, it is a simple carbohydrate that processes too quickly. Simple carbohydrates contribute to high blood sugar and high insulin levels, which in turn contribute to inflammation and can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Yams, on the other hand, are more complex carbohydrates, which are slowly digested. They contain several different antioxidants, as well as phytosterols, nutrients that benefit the heart and help keep hormone levels balanced.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and crackers
If you are looking for healthy meal ideas, you probably already know that the menu above is not a good option. But where are the problems?
Chicken breasts are lean, healthy, and a good source of protein, but if you coat them in batter and put them in a deep fryer, you’ll get a high-fat, high-carb food that’s almost as bad as a bag of potato chips. Bake or broil the breasts to keep them healthier.
The cabbage and carrots in coleslaw are relatively healthy, although the cabbage that most people eat is a hybrid, low in nutritional value. One of my favorite healthy meal ideas is to substitute purple cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and kale for the standard variety. It increases the nutritional value and has the same nice crunch.
Instead of mashing potatoes, you can mash yams, steam some broccoli, or mash some turnips. Cookies in fast food restaurants are a source of fatty acids, which are the worst for your health. Instead, try some whole wheat muffins.
If you are looking for healthy meal ideas because you need to lose weight, now is the time to learn more about the importance of when you eat and what foods you eat together. It could help you reach your goals faster.