Healthy eating is a hot topic right now, in a bid to make the world a healthier and happier place – with the prospect of living a longer, more fulfilling life. To achieve this, it can mean changing your diet or eating habits which can be daunting.

When looking to make the change to a healthier diet, you should try not to take the all or nothing approach – changing your entire diet and completely get rid of anything that is deemed unhealthy.

This approach is drastic, you do not need to change your diet so quickly to have a positive impact. Start by making small changes to your eating habits such as having a piece of fruit with lunch or as a snack instead of a biscuit or chocolate. By doing this, you can work your way up to the bigger changes such as experimenting with new recipes and creating meal plans to reduce waste.

Sport Aberdeen’s Five Top Tips ⬇️
To help you with your journey to a healthier diet and lifestyle, we have come up with five top tips to guide you in the right direction.

1. Have at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
It might be one you’ve heard loads of times before but eating a range of fruit and vegetables can have great results on your health and fitness, giving you more energy, fibre and protein.

2. Try to have more wholegrain foods such as beans, peas and lentils
Eating more wholegrain foods will help to increase your fibre intake. Ideally, you should be aiming to have 30g of fibre a day, as doing so is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

3. Eat a wider variety of protein foods and choose plant protein sources more often
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat are all types of protein you can incorporate into your diet. Plant protein is typically lower in saturated fat and some sources include seitan, tofu, beans and chickpeas, lentils, oats and oatmeal, nuts, quinoa, and green peas.

4. Have about six to eight drinks a day and choose reusable or recyclable drinks containers
Keeping hydrated is a crucial part of keeping healthy. Try to choose water at mealtimes, you can infuse with fruit to add some more flavour if preferred. Also try to refill your reusable bottle as this reduces single-use packaging. Staying hydrated can help to improve your performance in physical activity!

5. Reduce your food waste
Reducing food waste is good for the planet and our pockets! In a bid to help reduce your food waste, try to create meal plans and write a shopping list of ingredients before you head to the supermarket. Always remember, you can cover and chill your leftovers to enjoy the next day or freeze any leftover meals for a later date.