healthy meal ideas
If you’re looking for healthy meal ideas, you’re not alone. Many people are taking control of their health, learning how to prevent life-threatening and chronic diseases, and living longer, healthier lives. Below, you’ll see a couple of popular menu items, along with tips for making them healthier, without sacrificing taste.
steak and baked potato
Although still a favorite of many, the ever-popular beef filet is not the best choice for anyone who wants to live a long, chronic disease-free life. 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 the health of the heart and circulatory system. Beef steak contains some omega-3, but the concentration of omega-6 is much higher.
Higher omega-6 intake, combined with low omega-3 intake, leads to systemic or chronic inflammation, which plays a role in 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’ll see 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 is processed 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 digested slowly. They contain a number of different antioxidants, as well as phytosterols, nutrients that benefit the heart and help keep hormone levels balanced.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and biscuits
If you’re looking for healthy meal ideas, you probably already know that the above menu 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 breading and pop them in a deep fryer, you have a high-fat, high-carb food that’s almost as bad as a bag of chips. Bake or grill the breasts to keep them healthier.
The cabbage and carrots in coleslaw are relatively healthy, although the cabbage most people eat is a hybrid, low in nutritional value. One of my favorite healthy meal ideas is to substitute red cabbage, bok choy, and kale for the standard variety. It gives a boost in nutritional value and has the same nice crunch.
Instead of mashing potatoes, you can mashed yams, steamed broccoli, or mashed turnips. Cookies from fast food restaurants are a source of fatty acids, the worst for health. Try some whole wheat bagels instead.
If you’re 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.