Foods to choose for better health

A habit is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a “usual way of behaving: something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.” The key word in this definition is “repeated”.Indeed, whatever activities you do to maintain your health, it is only through repetition that you will achieve your goals. Running a half-marathon once a year will at best provide you with a boost of endorphins or at worst, an injury. On the other hand, 30 minutes of walking or jogging several times a week, year-round, will do miracles for your quality of life and health.Here are 20 healthy daily habits that can help you improve your physical and mental well-being. Ideally, pick one and then wait until it is fully integrated into your daily routine before selecting another!

For you and your family to get all the nutrients needed by the body, it's important for your meals to have all the basic food groups (bread and grains, fruits and vegetables, meat and legumes, milk and dairy products).

To help you choose the right foods, we present you with a simple list of healthy food choices and others to avoid for better health:

Meat:

• Choose lean white meat like chicken and fish more often than red meat
• Replace lamb with lean beef or veal after you remove the visible fat
• When serving chicken, remove the skin and try to serve the chicken breast instead of the chicken thigh
• Serve sources of vegetable proteins like lentils, beans and chickpeas which have high nutritional value.

Fats:

• Reduce intake of fast foods which are loaded with unhealthy fats, as well as processed and smoked meat
• Avoid using ghee and butter, and use a variety of vegetable oil instead.

Cereals and starches:

• Choose whole grain cereals like whole wheat, brown bread, brown rice and whole wheat pasta more often because they are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Milk and dairy products:

• Replace regular products with low-fat versions. This way you will get the same nutritional value without the fat.

Vegetables and fruits:

• Serve a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits every day. Use frozen vegetables as well, since they retain their nutritional value.

Sugars:

• Replace processed sugars with its natural form found in fruits as much as possible.

Good to Remember:

Serve a wide variety of fruits and vegetables; the more variety, the more nutrients. Make sure you don’t peel fruits and vegetables as the outer layer is rich in healthy fibers.