4 Tips For Eating Healthier

Over the past few months whilst on a weight loss journey I have actually picked up some really great tips that I have found so useful and thought I'd share them with you guys! 

Zoats - So I'm gonna share several tips on different ways to prepare oats as I'm mad for them but first of all I thought I'd touch base on zoats. You're probably wondering what on earth 'zoats' are but essentially it is porridge with zucchini (courgette) grated into it. At first thought this sounds absolutely disgusting and I was skeptical as well but trust me when I say this, you seriously cannot taste the zucchini and it is a great way of getting in your veggie intake if you're not a massive fan of eating vegetables. Another quick tip is also to add spinach to your smoothies - as with zoats, you seriously cannot taste the spinach. Personally I'm not a fan of spinach in its natural form but throw it in a smoothie and you can't even taste it, trust me. 

Spiralizing - Following on with the theme of zucchini, if you haven't heard of spiralizing, where on earth have you been! So spiralizing is essentially making spaghetti out of vegetables such as courgette or butternut squash. You can buy your own device, but I've noticed most supermarkets now sell it pre packed which is great for lazy people like me. If you're trying to lower your carb intake this is a great replacement for pasta! Combined with the right ingredients this stuff is super tasty and also a very creative way of getting in your five a day. Another way to replace carbs is to have cauli rice instead of rice! Now I don't recommend cutting out carbs because your body needs them but I do just think it's a fun way to be inventive with what you cook up in the kitchen.

Volumizing food - So back onto the topic of oats. I have recently picked up some great tricks to bulk up your food and make you feel fuller without increasing your calories too much. Again one way to do this with oats is to add Zucchini - a low cal high nutrient veg. So until recently I thought you could only make porridge with some sort of milk, my previous choice has always been almond milk, however I've recently discovered that it is possible to enjoy porridge by replacing milk with water but the secret is to add a tea spoon of baking powder to your bowl and then popping it in the microwave. Guys this is a serious gamer changer and I will not go back to my old porridge making ways! It makes the most delicious fluffy porridge that doubles in volume - so you feel like you've got more food than you have! You can either enjoy this on its own - saving calories by replacing milk with water, or you could add some yogurt to bulk it up. I have been doing this recently and it makes the loveliest overnight oats ever! Other things I add to porridge to increase the volume and macros is protein powder or egg whites - these tend to give the oats a cakey texture, which makes me feel full really quick whilst also giving you that huge protein boost! God who would have thought I would be so passionate writing about porridge! 

My Fitness Pal - So I only really discovered this app when I first started my weightloss journey 6 months ago as my parents started using it. It wasn't until a month or so ago I really got into it and now I love it! It's so interesting to see what the nutritional value is of foods, like my mind was blown when I found out there are 80 calories in an Apple and discovering that it is pretty much a pure carb- not that this is a bad thing but it was just very surprising. It's also surprising when you start to weigh your food and realize what you may think is a reasonable portion and what the actual portion size should be. I am currently using this app as I find it keeps me on track and I can see what I am putting into my body. I also find I eat better because I'm more conscious of my food decisions and tend to eat healthier otherwise I know I will have to log it on my app. It's also very interesting to see what your maintenance weight calories are etc. I am currently in a calorie deficit as I am trying to lose fat but it's amazing to see what macros you need to hit etc to achieve these results. 

I hope you found this post useful!