Making Swaps for a Healthy Dinner
Next up on our healthy food swap ideas is a list of simple swaps you can make for a tasty and healthy dinner.
Why is dinner important?
There a number of essential functions that a healthy dinner can provide for your body. As it’s the last meal of the day it’s important for you to choose the right things. You are unlikely to eat again for at least 10 hours.
Eating the right things for dinner can ensure that your body has a steady supply of glucose to use as fuel while you sleep. A common cause of disturbed sleep is when blood sugar levels falls. The body has to use up stored glucose which can wake you up and keep you awake. It’s important to eat the right things for dinner to counteract this: a meal which contains lean protein and complex carbs will ensure the steady release of glucose to the blood stream – helping to prevent disturbed sleep.
It’s also important to make sure your dinner contains the right amino acids. Amino acids play an essential role in promoting well-being and mood and form the essential building blocks of the body.
A great example is Tryptophan, an amino acid, which is converted into serotonin in the body. Tryptophan is carried into the brain via carbohydrate which underlines why you should combine protein and complex carbs. You can get tryptophan from chicken, turkey, fresh tuna, nuts, seeds and bananas.
Small Changes, Big Results
Making small changes to your diet is the healthiest and most achievable way to lose weight. So here are some healthy swaps you could make to start a change:
Make sure portions smaller!
It seem’s like an obvious one, but often people fill their plates up to the brim without thinking about the portion size. Why not swap to smaller portion? If your still hungry you can always have a little more but chances are the first portion will be enough. It’s also important to relax and eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for the body to register that we are full so by slowly eating you are less likely to over eat.
Swap Takeaways for Homecooking
Takeaways can be an easy option for busy people. But most popular takeaway foods are very high in saturated fats,
sugars, salt and lack healthy vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating them regularly is harmful to your health in the short and long term, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
Try to cook at home as often as you can. That way you can regulate what goes in your food and how it’s cooked.
It’s not always easy to find the time to cook a meal so here are some quick ideas that take only 20 minutes to make to give you some inspiration.
Swap Red Meat for Lean Meat
Experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) have given a cancer warning about processed and red meat consumption.
The report announced that processed meats have been given a Group 1 (definitely causes cancer) carcinogen classification, and red meats a Group 2A (probably causes cancer).
Red meat is classed as fresh red meat; Steak, pork, lamb etc. In contrast to these, white meats, such as fish, chicken or turkey, have no links to the increased risk of cancer.
Processed meat is classed as products such as bacon, chorizo, salami, sausages: products that have been cured, salted, smoked or preserved in some way. The study found that eating 50 grams of processed meat, i.e. 2 slices of bacon, can increase our chance of bowel cancer by 17-18%.
So if you eat too much red meat, try swapping it for chicken, turkey, fish or a bean dish, for a more balanced, healthy diet that still contains protein. Fish in particular is packed with nutrients, protein, vitamin D and is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. Turkey is a lean meat and turkey mince can be a great substitute for beef mince when making burgers. Or why not try a bean and veggie chilli instead of a chilli con carne.
See below for some lean meat recipe ideas: