Eight easy and healthy meal hacks

Cooking your food every day may not seem a special thing to you but for your body, each meal that you have is very special. Every time you eat something, your stomach receives it as a gift and it is literally party-mode-on for your body. Your body breaks down the food that it receives and absorbs everything from it whether it is nutrients that are good for you or fats that are regarded as not so good. This absorption defines your mood throughout the day, your health and your general functioning. Hence, your food somehow defines your entire working life. Eating healthy food is therefore important to be both mentally and physically active and sound. You may change your diet and accept the healthy way but some every day food habits drag you back to the starting point and your healthy diet becomes a waste. To stop you from making these small mistakes related to your food everyday we are here to tell you 8 easy meal hacks that will turn around your life for the better. When you will stop making these mistakes, you will feel the difference in your health quotient.

So, these are the 8 easy and healthy meal hacks -

1. Have a filling and healthy breakfast.

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. That means it is the first time on that particular day that your body is going to get the fuel to function. Whether you feed it nutrients or unhealthy fats, it is entirely your choice. A health-conscious person should first of all never skip their breakfast. Because most logically, without the fuel, a machine cannot work. Secondly, the fuel should be appropriate for the machine. A wrong fuel may completely seize the machine. Therefore, it is advised by health experts that your breakfast should be full of healthy and nutritious food. Eating junk right in the morning will only make you feel bloated and dizzy. A bowl full of muesli or oatmeal are some of the most underrated breakfast options but at the same time most healthy. You can even make peanut butter a part of your breakfast. These breakfast options will give you all the energy and essential nutrients to start your day on an active note and will also keep you full for a longer period of time so that your cravings for something unhealthy are kept at bay. The thumb rule of a healthy diet is a healthy breakfast.

2. You don’t need that oil.

Separation of oil from natural peanut butter and other nut butter is common. All the nuts have some amount of oils in them which are super healthy oils. These oils make the nuts healthy. Grinding the nuts releases all the oils from them. That is why you see all the oil surfaces in the peanut butter jars or any other nut butter jars. Also, peanut butter is almost in liquid form at room temperature. Therefore, as the peanut butter sits at the bottom of the jar, the oil rises and comes at the top. The separation of oil is valid enough proof that the peanut butter is totally natural and free from all the added on ingredients. But you don't need so much of the oil in your everyday diet. Oils somehow become a part of your diet knowingly or unknowingly and getting rid of these kinds of known oils in peanut butter is always a smart move to cut down some of the oils from your diet. Instead of stirring or shaking the container to combine the oil back in the nut butter, pour the oil off. You will skim off about 119 calories and 14g of fats in each tablespoon of oil you discard, leaving fewer calories in every remaining serving. This will not only make the nut butter much more healthy but you will feel lighter and more energetic throughout the day. This is a simple yet the most effective food hack.

3. Powdered Peanut Butters over the regular ones.

Powdered peanut butter is a better pick over traditional peanut butter. Powdered peanut butter contains double the protein than the traditional peanut butter spread. It also is healthier for you as it contains 80% less fat than the traditional ones. Peanut butter powder is a new product in India that is first time launched by Alpino. They are super healthy and tasty. 15g of protein, 3g of Fats, 0mg Cholesterol per serving of 30g is what peanut butter powder serves. This amount of protein is hard to get from any other source. Peanut butter powder is super easy to convert into a spread. You just have to add water to it. The powder form can be added in coffee or in shakes to add extra taste.

4. Bake or grill instead of frying.

No matter how much we like fried stuff, we all are aware that it is not very healthy for us. Frying not only decreases the already present nutrients from the food, it also makes it dry. The high level of fats and cholesterol that goes into fried dishes is unavoidable. The dabbing of tissue paper on the fried food may make you look health conscious but it does not help get rid of the oil. The digestion issues that the fried food gives eventually becomes a permanent health issue for some individuals. Therefore, it is best to avoid frying. We live in a technology laden world and thus have a lot of alternatives for frying. Earlier people used to think shallow frying is better than deep frying. We don’t deny the fact that it really is, but anything that involves a lot of oil can not turn out to be healthy. Though grilling the food is a good alternative. Grilling only requires the oil to be brushed over the food, some people try to even avoid doing that too. Directly heating the food on fire also makes sure that the food is in its natural state and not of the nutrients are escaped. Baking is another great method of cooking. Since baking requires butter, it becomes extra delicious and less fatty. Also, the heat of the oven is much better than the heat of the microwave. A lot of the health specialists have proved this. Nowadays, air frying is another technique that is very much similar to grilling. Air frying everyday food items like samosas that require deep frying, can save you of all the extra calories from oily foods.

5. Add fruits to your cereal or oatmeal.

Fruits are the most underrated food item. Some people think that they are sweet and therefore have a lot of calories and therefore, avoid them completely. While others feel that they can have fruits at any time of the day but forget or don’t get time. Avoiding fruits can be the biggest mistake you might be making. Fruits contain nutrients that even vegetables and even nuts don't have. Seasonal fruits should be consumed at all costs as they provide the beneficial nutritional goodness that is needed in that season. Imagine not eating watermelon on hot summer days. Will your body not need the hydration watermelon provides? If you do not avoid eating fruits in summers then why avoid them in other seasons? Also, fruits should always be had in the morning. Fruits and juices should always be consumed in the mornings. This is because in the morning your body needs all the healthy food items to get started with the day. To avoid forgetting about the food you can add the fruits while having breakfast. If you are the kind of person who does not like eating a lot of fruits right in the morning, then you can add them to your cereal or oatmeal. Making a bowl of fruits with different seeds like chia seeds or pumpkin seeds can make it interesting to eat.

6. Use only nut butters.

Using natural nut butters instead of other unhealthy spreads available in the market will make you see the difference in your health in a short span of time. Nut butters are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. These fats help to increase HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, while keeping LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol in check. It is also undeniable that nut butters are super tasty. Be it peanut butter or almond butter, the nut butters enhance the overall taste of the thing it is eaten with. When you eat nut butters instead of other unhealthy spreads, your mother would be super proud of you. Also, there are a variety of nut butters to choose from. You can have your favourite nut in butter form as today’s fast paced world does not allow us to savour our favourite things like nuts and dried fruits like we used to, in our childhood. The other spreads available in the market may claim to have even less calories than the nut butters but the hidden fats and trans-oils in them turns them into something much more unhealthy than even junk food. Even the smallest portions of them when consumed, may make your pledge of eating healthy go haywire.

7. Double up your veggie intake.

No, we are not being conservative. We are not telling you to eat your greens, not eat junk food and all of the other things that your elders used to say. Eating healthy does not mean eating only veggies or boring and boiled food. We are telling you to eat all your favourite pastas, pizzas and burgers but with a touch of health. Try adding green vegetables to all of your favourite foods. You can add cooked veggies as well as have raw veggies in the form of salads as accompaniments with the burgers. Roasted vegetables can go as a topping in your pastas and along with basil leaves you can make for yourself a farmhouse pizza by adding vegetables. This will not only satisfy your junk cravings but will also provide enough nutrients for your body to function properly. This will also make sure that you are full and not just with the unhealthy stuff. In addition to this, you always have the option of having salads. Your dietician can tell you the recipes of salads so tasty that you will become a fan. Salads are not boring when given a nice dressing. Gone are the days when people used to eat raw or blanched vegetables in the name of salads and eating healthy. A lot of varieties of salads in different dressings are being sold by a lot of food joints but why waste money when you can make your own customised salad at home. Break the stigma and start eating your greens in a way that will benefit both your body and is liked by your palate.

8. Use only whole grain products.

By swapping your regular products with their whole-wheat counterparts. The day to day carbohydrates that you consume in the form of breads, tortillas, pizza breads, burger buns or even pastas should be swapped with whole wheat or whole grain products.by doing this you can have more nutrients and fiber in your system. They lower your risk of obesity. Whole grains are easily digested and also help in giving bulk to your stools and lowers the risk of constipation. Also, some types of fiber in the grains act as prebiotics. They help feed your beneficial gut bacteria which are super beneficial for your digestive health. From keeping your heart healthy to saving you from the risk of cancer, whole grain products are a blessing.

These were some of our recommendations for the meal hacks you should try to incorporate in your daily life to lead a healthy lifestyle. Tell us what you think about our recommendation -

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Alpino has a wide variety of food items that are natural and super healthy. Free from any trans-fat or GMO, you will find a lot of everyday meal options with us. Check out our website to have a look at the variety of products we have.