family eating tips

We live in frantic times and our busy schedule cannot support nutritional choices. Every day we struggle to safeguard a healthy lifestyle which is often harassed by luxury cereals, prepackaged meals and sugar-free beverages. At the end of the day, when we add up the daily expenses, not only we have spent a lot of money, but we also feel unable to beat the bloat in our stomach. This explains why, for many people, with food prices soaring, saving money on food and still eating healthy seems unrealistic.

Planning, shopping and cooking for your family while acquiring the beneficial effects of nutritional foods is not as difficult as it seems. All you need is to follow some quick and easy tips that can produce enduring effects.

- Red meat is murder

Red meat contains high amounts of iron, proteins, zinc, vitamin B12 and antioxidants. However, because it is high in saturated fats, it is considered harmful to human health. Clinical studies have shown that regular consumption of red meat is associated to serious health problems such as heart disease and cancer. Red meat increases the cholesterol levels in the blood and is responsible for hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, many American families over-consume red and processed meats thus increasing the risk of acquiring some serious health problems. Cutting back on red meat, namely bacon, salami, ham, steak, and hot dogs ensures longevity. You don’t have to eliminate red meat from your diet, but definitely reduce your intake to twice a week the most. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove fat from your steaks.

- Eliminate convenience foods

American families love convenience foods because they save time on cooking, while paying affordable prices. But, the truth of the matter is that these on-the-go eatables contain higher amounts of salt and are high in fats and sodium. This means that, not only they increase the levels of water weight, but they also increase blood pressure. In majority, convenience foods are rich in preservatives that can be harmful to your health. So, the bottom line is that your dollar value is not rewarded if you consider the money you’ll be spending on diets to lose the weight gained from this unhealthy food.

- Avoid diet soda

There has been quite some debate about diet soda. Some people think it’s healthy because it’s sugar-free. However, clinical studies have shown that sugar-free translates into artificial sweeteners. This means that diet soda is responsible for developing a carcinogenic effect on our body. In addition, because it doesn’t contain sugar, the effect of caffeine is more intense leading to hyperactivity, hypertension and increased levels of blood sugar. Substitute diet soda for natural green tea.