December is filled with well a deserved splurge on sweet treats and your festive favourites. All this, combined with stress eating from 2020, may have you concerned about being out of shape. Looking to shed some weight in the New Year, or wanting to have a healthier lifestyle, is a common feeling. With this, knowing where to start is also a common hurdle that most seem to fall at. If your New Year’s resolution is to hit the gym hard or you’ve set a goal to run a 5K or 10K, your diet will be at the cornerstone of these desires. So, to make sure you don’t neglect your taste buds when making this lifestyle change, we’ve covered some tips below to get you started.
The Christmas Leftovers
Eating until you’re about to pop is just commonplace at Christmas. It’s easily done making too much food, and more often than not, most of it ends up in the bin. A piece of advice, don’t waste that turkey. If you want to quickly convert into a high protein diet, Turkey will be your friend. It ranks high when it comes to meat, with properties that will benefit those looking to get healthy. The calorie to protein ratio is very much in the favour of those looking to get fit. Turkey will compliment anyone getting into fitness or strength training. So, make sure to freeze any leftover turkey for those all important meals in January.
A curry is the ideal way to consume that leftover turkey, so find a healthy recipe that suits you. The addition of leafy greens, such as spinach, can add to the overall nutrition of this dish. Spicy food is good for weight management, and can have anti-inflammatory effects (from the presence of curcumin), so anyone who’s not afraid of the heat would benefit from a curry with a bit of kick.
Chicken Classics
The first thing that comes to mind when trying to convert to a healthy lifestyle is, “it’s not as tasty”. That statement could not be any further from the truth. Chicken is a very versatile meat and is delicious served in a number of ways. Simple changes to your favourite chicken based dishes will help you on your journey to health, but will keep eating enjoyable throughout the process.
Still being in control of what goes into a dish will make healthy eating not seem like a chore. You can grill your chicken and prepare some of your favourite vegetables for a healthy fajita night. A grilled chicken burger with some salad, and a side of sweet potato fries, creates the fast food classic you have become accustomed to, but with less worry of the calories present. You don’t have to force yourself to eat foods you know you hate for the sake of being healthy. Feeling good is the goal and you won’t get there if your food is making you feel miserable.
Beef is Prime
Red meat is a must for anyone looking to build muscle and pursue more strength based fitness. It not only is packed with protein, but also it’s been found to have amino acids and vitamins to help repair muscles after workouts. There aren’t many ways to go wrong with beef, although a lean cut or reduced fat beef can prove more effective, especially eaten in moderation.
Recipes for a five-a-day bolognese are great ways to pack in all your nutrients into a meal. For anyone not confident in the kitchen, a simple chilli is a low calorie meal and it takes minimal effort to prepare. Additionally, beef skewers can be a quick protein filled snack. You can easily customise to your tastes and intake goals with this dish, as skewers can be adapted to the individual for a more healthy alternative.
Not enjoying your food is a common cause to ruining diets, with binge eating and overindulging. However, there are loads of fun and healthy recipes out there. So, anyone who is worried about the change of lifestyle because they think all they can eat is copious amounts of fish and rice cakes, will rejoice to hear that their favourite food can become healthy with just a few tweaks. It’s a good idea to try and calorie count as much as possible, aiming for a calorie deficit, as this will ultimately help you towards a healthier you. 2020 saw many turn to comfort foods and that is okay. 2021 can be an opportunity to make up for the lost year but that doesn’t have to come with many sacrifices to your food choices.
