Healthy Food Choices ⋆ Gluten Free Vegan Diet

What are Healthy Food Choices and what role do they play in your diet?

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. Healthy food choices means a healthier lifestyle. You are what you eat in the sense that when making better choice of food, you’ll feel better, look better, and your health is better overall.

In order to eat healthy, you must know the best food choice and then make the right food choices. Eating healthy is all about what you choose to put on your plate and in your mouth which means the choices you make are crucial to whatever results you want to achieve. Be it weight loss, fitness, endurance or just simply feeling better, what you eat counts.

Eating healthier isn’t rock science, it’s about choices, consistency and maybe some willpower. The following is a list of the basic in a healthy diet:

Grains
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this, you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Now, being that this site is about a gluten-free (Vegan) diet. This might be one area you really need to modify. Eating gluten-free isn’t easy, but could have a major impact on how you feel.

Vegetables
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach. Carrots and sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat
more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney beans.

I personally prefer organic fresh raw vegetables. I’d rather eat a fresh salad daily rather than cook a vegetable. The goal here is to get an adequate intake of vegetables. The typical American diet consists of everything but vegetables it seems.

Fruits
Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can drink fruit juices as well, although you should use moderation when doing so.

If you really serious about getting results, watch your fruit intake carefully. Although they contain a natural sugar, they do contain sugar.

Milk
Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal. For kids 2 – 8, 2 cups is where you want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who don’t like milk or can’t have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified foods and beverages.

I for one can NOT drink milk without serious consequences so I drink Almond Milk instead.

Meat and beans
Unless you’ve decided to go Vegan (or vegetarian) Eating 5 ounces of meat a day is the ideal goal, and you should go lean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it, grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation. You can vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts. If you don’t eat meat or eggs, then substitute with beans and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you
should try to add these foods and any foods that happen to contain them.

I like to cook with either Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Organic non processed coconut oil. I happen to like the taste of coconut so it’s good.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low, you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat, you’ll help contribute to a healthier and active lifestyle.

Exercise is another crucial component to being healthy since it goes along perfect with a healthy eating. You don’t have to run a marathon or do Cross Fit (unless you want to), just stay active in one way or another. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years – even help you and your health in the long run as well.