Eating healthy 

The world changes quickly, and lifestyles with it. Meals take out for school and work reasons are increasing, but at the same time we are no longer willing to have just any lunch, as long as it is quick. We want a balanced diet without giving up the taste that, as Italians, we have taught to the whole world. 

At least three meals a day, and don't give up breakfast. Learn how to shop without waste. Many portions of fruit and vegetables, for lunch and dinner. Don't overdo it with meat consumption.

HEALTHY EATING

Eat healthy and spend little: this is one of the goals of a lifestyle inspired by my Do Not Waste diptych. It's not difficult, and once it becomes a habit, you won't be able to give it up. For the pleasure and well-being it brings. Eating healthy does not only mean choosing the best foods for this result, but also having regular meal times, having "appetite-breaking" snacks and not giving up physical activity. What does it mean to eat healthy? Someone, mistakenly, links this concept to the idea of eating little, very little, and losing weight. It's not like that. Eating healthy means protecting one's health, and therefore we can consider it as the most important form of prevention. Without sacrificing the pleasure of food, taste and genuineness of the products. Eating healthy, from this point of view, is a choice of balance, not a mental obsession that then stresses you out and makes you feel like an alien. Balance, for example, in the weights related to the derivation of the calories that our body needs: 50-60 percent from carbohydrates, 20 percent from proteins, and yet another 20 percent from fats. That's why, if you keep these numbers in mind, it becomes almost automatic to consider the Mediterranean diet as the healthiest of all.

But healthy eating isn't just related to the quality and quantity of food. It also concerns the ways in which we eat (swallowing in a hurry, or perhaps being glued to a smartphone, is simply not good for you), the times (fasting too long are counterproductive) and even the choice of company (being good at the table with others increases the well-being of good food).

DIET FOR HEALTHY EATING

It doesn't take much to eat healthily without spending large amounts of money and above all without sacrificing the quality of the food: all with an eye to diet. In fact, there are a wide variety of inexpensive foods with high nutritional value. Here are some simple tips for spending that is nutritionally rich but not wasteful in terms of cost:

Eat at least three meals a day without ever neglecting breakfast. For lunch and dinner, choose mainly plant-based products such as seasonal fruit and vegetables, legumes and cereals, even better if produced locally in the farmers' markets in the city. Try to never miss at least 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables. Take a detour to the market when the stalls close: you will find vegetables and fruit at even lower prices. Always introduce, at lunch or dinner, at least a portion of cereals and derivatives such as bread, pasta, rice, corn or potatoes. Also add a good portion of vegetables, cooked or raw. The classic pasta with tomato sauce. Very quick to prepare, it is a complete and inexpensive dish. Good and inexpensive condiments: the classic one with tomato and basil, olive oil and grated cheese. Ban ready meals and caloric snacks and at least twice a week, make sure that legumes appear in your diet. So there is room for chickpeas, beans, lentils, broad beans and peas. Don't forget that with cereals you can also create many tasty unique dishes such as pasta and beans, easy to prepare, healthy and decidedly low cost. Don't overdo it with the consumption of meat, just consume it once/twice a week and preferably white. Same thing for fish. Don't consume too many sausages, dairy products and cheeses. Also avoid buying cured meats already sliced and in trays: they generally cost more than those asked for at the counter. In addition, this way you will avoid buying more than the necessary amount. The best alternative to meat? Legumes: they can be prepared as a first or second course. The legume soup with a handful of rice or barley or the chickpea burger accompanied by a side of vegetables are excellent.

WHAT TO EAT AS HEALTHY FOOD?

Certainly the list of healthy foods must include fruits, vegetables, legumes, extra virgin olive oil, fish and white meat. But other foods can also help a lot to have a healthy diet, while some products, such as sugary drinks are really harmful.

Eggs, cheap proteins. You can cook them in so many ways. Enjoy them fried in a drizzle of oil accompanied by a side of vegetables (e.g. asparagus), in the form of a zucchini or onion omelette or hard-boiled in a fresh salad. Choose small eggs, which are less expensive, but little different from large ones. Choose, where possible, tap water and avoid the consumption of carbonated or sugary drinks, which are unhealthy. Favor the use of extra virgin olive oil both for cooking and as a raw condiment. Also plan your weekly menu by writing a shopping list: you will arrive at the store with a list of the things you really need in mind and you will avoid being enchanted by the various promotions in progress, which are not very convenient if the food purchased then remains in the fridge. Try to reuse everything you have available. For example, if strawberries are overripe, you can reuse them to make a tasty homemade ice cream. Leftover vegetables for dinner become the basic ingredient for a delicious risotto. Finally, how can we forget that healthy eating habits must always be accompanied by some physical activity, preferably in the open air. The more you walk or run during the week, the more positive health benefits you have. As recent research finds, both running and walking lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Eating healthy food doesn't have to be a compulsion or a duty. But simply a desire and a pleasure. As usual, it's just a matter of introducing good habits, like the ones we've seen, and eliminating others that have the opposite effect in terms of well-being for our body. In particular, to get closer to healthy food, we just need to get used to the following things. Reduce sugar and salt, according to the respective desire. Don't overdo it with coffees, which we also usually use to accompany meetings throughout the day. Eat a balanced diet, which is always the best way to stay in shape and not gain weight. Break your appetite later in the day with snacks of yoghurt, fruit and nuts. Always pleasant. Do physical activity that helps you have an appetite, but eat foods that do not automatically lead to weight gain.