How to keep your nutrition in check through home-cooked meals
While working from home, you have lost all sense of time as you were caught up in a particular project, suddenly you realize you have not eaten anything for that entire day. Before you know it, you are eating cup noodles with a side of potato chips. Perhaps cooking takes up too much time that your packed work-from-home schedule cannot afford, so in a few taps you have ordered takeout for dinner.
We all enjoy convenience foods and with the prolonged remote working arrangements, we may have developed a love for convenience. However, these foods are usually high in chemical additives, unhealthy fats, calories and so on. Such convenience foods may temporarily resolve the hunger in your stomach until the next meal. However, consuming such foods will eventually take an adverse toll on your health through weight gain, loss of energy, or both.
One of the simplest ways to keep a healthy lifestyle is by preparing home-cooked meals. This applies not only for when you are working from home, but could help you make healthier and more nutritious choices for all your mealtimes, no matter where you are. Here are some tips to get started:
1. Start the day well with breakfast
Breakfast is often known as “the most important meal of the day” and consuming a healthy breakfast provides the essential nutrients and energy to support our daily activities. If you are in a rush, start the day with a light and healthy option, such as a low-fat yogurt, oatmeal or a fruit. If you have more time, consider consuming wholegrain cereals or oats with fruit, or foods like whole meal breads, eggs, milk, and natural fruit juice.
2. Use fresh and healthy ingredients
While preparing your own food, you have more control over the ingredients being used. Avoid using processed food items or adding too much sugar or salt into your meal. Instead, opt for ingredients such as fresh meats and vegetables for cooking. This ensures that the meals are healthy while being tasty.
3. Learn basic cooking techniques and try new recipes
You do not need to be a chef to be able to cook at home. Whatever your abilities or experience with cooking, you can learn to prepare healthy home-cooked meals that can have real benefits for your mental and physical health. Our principal dietician, Ms Bibi Chia, suggests to start with easy eggs dishes such as boiled eggs to accompany your salad or whip up a simple vegetable stir-fry in a wok. Consider preparing meals together with your family – it is also a great way to spend time bonding with each other!
Watch our video for healthier versions of Singapore local delights: https://youtu.be/dqcVKboJCyI
4. Make substitutions for healthier meals
If you have a sweet tooth and love to bake, when baking, opt to reduce the sugar in recipes. Avoid excess usage of oils and salt in your home-cooked meals. Choose brown rice instead of white rice. When consuming bread and pasta, select whole-grain versions instead.
5. Choose healthy snacks
We may feel hungry during different times of the day, resulting in the temptation to snack between meals. Make it easy to access healthy snacks by keeping fruit on the kitchen counter, having healthy snacks such as vegetable sticks and hummus in the fridge, or keeping nuts in the cupboard. This allows the family members at home to have access to a variety of options to make better choices for healthy snacks.
Preparing your own home-cooked food can bring about great health benefits
Be creative, flexible, and have fun in your dietary journey. Take this opportunity to make healthy cooking at home a way of life for you and your family today. By starting your day right with healthy ingredients and snacks, while substituting ingredients with healthier alternatives, you are able to prepare a variety of healthy and tasty meals.
Build a healthier lifestyle with dietary and nutritional advice. Our Raffles experts are here to help you achieve a healthier you.
By Ms. Bibi Chia, Principal Dietician at Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre – Singapore
(Source: shorturl.at/qtzCU)
