When warmer spring weather arrives, South Africans fire up their barbecues to grill juicy burgers, head out to their neighbourhood ice cream shop for a double scoop or cool off with an iced cappuccino at their local coffee shop.
While these foods may seem like ideal warm weather treats, they are almost always higher in heart unhealthy saturated fat, sugar, salt and calories.
This spring, why not consider turning over a new leaf and indulging in a heart-healthy diet instead? Not sure where to begin?
Embrace these simple steps and you will be on the right track to spring cleaning your eating habits.
Clean out your fridge and pantry of processed junk foods
While you are cleaning the fridge and cupboards, go over everything you have hidden on the shelves. Read the labels and examine the ingredient list.
Throw out the unhealthy junk food to eliminate temptation, and fill your fridge, freezer and cupboards with vegetables, fresh and frozen fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fermented foods, and healthy oils like coconut, avocado and extra virgin olive oil.
Keep a food diary
Record everything you eat and drink for one week to identify your current eating habits and patterns. Begin to think about what drives you to eat. Is it hunger, your body’s need for fuel, or is it connected to habits, emotions or other triggers?
Note your hunger before and after a meal, and any other reasons you might be eating, such as boredom, habit, stress, worry, sadness or time of day.
Look for lighter staples
Begin to stock your fridge with more salad staples and lighter ingredients for meals and snacks. Instead of pancakes and bacon, you may crave smoothies or Greek yoghurt for breakfast. For snacks, try dried fruits and nuts, or veggies and hummus.
Embrace green
With new greenery growing everywhere, it is also the perfect time to indulge in vegetables that are loaded with a winning combination of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Vegetables also have the bonus of being low in fat and calories. Enjoy artichokes, fresh new asparagus shoots and kale in your meals.
They are tasty and healthy choices, so enjoy them while they are in season. Artichokes are an excellent source of folate and both fibre and potassium. Not to mention they are tasty on pizza and pair well with any chicken dish.
Asparagus provides a source of potassium, magnesium, selenium and iron. You can roast, steam, or leave the spears whole, and they are delicious in an omelette or as a side dish.
Kale is an excellent source of vitamin C and is filled with lutein and beta-carotene, which can help you maintain a healthy diet this spring.
Hydrate
It cannot be said enough how wonderful water is for the mind, body and soul. Water is refreshing, cleansing, nourishing and detoxifying. As the temperatures climb outside, the body needs more water to function.
Carry a water bottle with you everywhere and to motivate yourself to drink more, add your favourite fresh fruits and citrus flavours. It is fun and tasty.
Cut back on sugar
It is no secret that spring is also the season of sugary treats. And while there is nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence, when it becomes a daily part of your diet it can start to add up.
Take a look at your diet and try to find places where you can start to minimise or eliminate the amount of sugar you are eating.
Start meatless Mondays
No one’s suggesting you give up burgers and steaks for good, but research suggests everyone benefits from eating more plant-based foods. So spring is a good time to incorporate more plant-based proteins into your diet and meatless Mondays are an easy way to help make it happen.
Order smart
When eating out or ordering in, it is easy to opt for the most delicious (and sometimes least healthy) thing on the menu.
Become a breakfast eater
For many of us, breakfast time is a bit of a battle. It is a rush-around time of the day and many of us don’t wake up with much of an appetite.
Yet research convincingly points in one direction: eating breakfast makes a big, positive difference to your health. It enhances concentration, memory, nutrient intake and weight control. A tip? Start with something small, quick and easy.
Control your food portion
We tend to eat more during cold weather as our bodies require extra heat and energy. But now that winter has ended, it is better to have less.
The simplest trick is to use a smaller plate or bowl. Start by cutting back a quarter of your usual portions, and gradually find the right amount to fill your tummy at each meal.
Plant a garden
Take inspiration from the produce you are seeing in the store and plan out a spring and summer’s worth of healthy eating from your very own back deck or yard. You can already start your seedlings indoors to replant later.