We all hope to eat well and follow a healthy, balanced diet.
But sometimes this can feel like a challenge due to the busyness of life and endless list of tasks to fit into the day. Up until earlier this year, I thought I followed a really good diet – then I spoke to ITV‘s Dr Hilary Jones about processed food and the impact it has on our bodies.
Without realising, I was scoffing away on a lot more processed food than I could have ever realised, but making a simple change to how I cook really helped to turn it all around.
While Brits may be raving about Airfryers, I decided to go old school. After Christmas, I invested in a humble slow cooker.
There are many reasons why it’s changed my life for the better (and for good). Firstly, it enables me to prepare my meals before I start work.
Everything gets bunged in to bubble away slowly all day long, which makes the evenings much easier. I can exercise, go to an appointment or get on with housework before dinner, and I’m only left with one pot to wash up at the end of the day.
Secondly, I’m now constantly planning meals all the time, which means I’m saving money in the process. As well as only purchasing what I need, I can batchcook or at least make enough to make me another meal for the next day.
And don’t think the recipes I turn to are boring – I’ve made all sorts from stews to curries to noodle dishes – and they’ve all been healthy, delicious and full of protein and vegetables.
Lastly, because I’m actually making an effort to think about meals in advance more – wherever the day may take me – I’m no longer picking up food for convenience anymore, which means I’ve ditched a lot of processed products.
There’s no picking up readymade staples like wedges, fish cakes or breaded meats. While I have the occasional treat or snack now and again, the amount of processed food I eat has been cut drastically – and I feel a lot better for it.
Whether linked to the diet change or not, I now feel a lot lighter and I have more energy thanks to nourishing my body with more wholefoods. Investing in a slow cooker may seem a simple change, but it’s made a great difference to my health.
Other things I did to cut down on processed food
I also made some other simple changes to make a difference. Some examples include:
- Making porridge from scratch and not using readymade oat sachets
- Ditching packet meats for lunch and opting for eggs or fish instead
- Limiting biscuits and crisps as much as possible
- Opting for wholegrain or sourdough breads