Winter Eating Habits!

Easy Diet Tip!!

Swapping Foods.....

These posts are getting further and further apart as I'm getting busier but this is one that I've been meaning to write for a while. It's advice that everybody has heard but sometimes it helps to have a reminder of some of the ways we can tweak our daily routine to be a bit healthier! 

We are all looking to have healthier habits, especially now that winter is creeping up on us and we start to crave those comfort foods again. It's hard to not feel guilty when we have a big bowl of pasta, or have our third hot chocolate just to keep warm!

Life is too short to diet- Nobody is perfect, which is why I love the idea of swapping as opposed to cutting things out completely, if we deny ourselves our favourite things then we tend to crave them and feel guilty when we do indulge.

Substituting foods is a great way to still have the treats that we want and also not end up being twice the size at the end of winter!

Here are a couple of EASY suggestions that I try to adopt that are easy to implement!

Breakfast-

Food is what usually gets me out of bed in the morning- I can't wait for my cup of tea and a nice breakfast. A great way to swap and still get enough energy for your day is to swap your toast and butter for a small bowl of porridge. Its warm and comforting but it's low GI so it will release energy slowly and keep you feeling fuller for longer, and hopefully curb those mid morning snacks as well!

Lunch- 

We all get a bit over salads after summer and it's hard not to go for something full of carbs like a toasted foccacia to fill us up for lunch! A good idea for winter is to go for a healthy vegetable soup, it fills you up and keeps you warm at the same time. The best way to know the ingredients is to make it at home yourself then keep it in the fridge or freezer, some of the store bought ones have a high salt content to watch out for!

Dinner- 

Some great swapping tips for dinner meals which means you can still have your favourite comfort foods are to swap normal pasta for wholegrain pasta which has more nutritional benefits and the same goes for brown rice, which is much healthier than white rice. Two tiny little changes which can make a big difference in the long run! Sweet potato is also a much better choice than white potato, it adds a different flavour to the plate and has less calories and more vitamin A.

Snacks-

 I'm hopeless when it comes to snacking, because I'm a vegetarian I tend to not feel as full for as long because I'm missing certain proteins and fats that take longer to digest. So I always keep some almonds or goji berries on hand. Being a woman means I am also prone to chocolate craving at any time of the day! I have recently swapped milk chocolate for dark chocolate. I might throw a tantrum if I had to go without it altogether but opting for dark chocolate (only a small amount) is a much better option!

I love my potato chips but they are so processed and full of salts and flavourings that it's probably my unhealthiest habit. But sometimes you just need an easy, crunchy snack so I try to go for popcorn instead. I have an airpopping machine at home which is great because it cooks it without any of the fats or oils and you have control over how much salt and butter you put on. It's actually something I would be lost without now, it makes something delicious but without the guilt of the packet stuff!

Drinks- 

It's easy to drink water and feel healthy in summer because we are hot anyway! When the weather is cooler and we want to be cozy, chances are that we go for a coffee or hot chocolate instead of a glass of water. One change I made a little while ago is to swap my coffee's for a green or white tea. Nice and warm, but there is no fat from the milk or sugar. Green tea can help with digestion and weight loss and white tea is great for the immune system so will help prevent you getting sick as well!

My perfect 3pm slump snack is now some dark chocolate, a few almonds and a cup of white tea. Now doesn't that sound nice and healthy?

In saying that, we all have our cheat days when no matter how great our intentions are we end up with a doughnut, a mars bar or a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows :)

I hope everybody enjoys the last traces of sunshine in Melbourne as winter begins to close in around us!  I promise to write about some GREAT things to do in Melbourne to keep you entertained for the cooler months!

~Jade
xxx