For many of us, maintaining a healthy weight might seem really daunting. But it doesn’t need to be if we just try to swap over to healthier eating and physical activity habits every day.
Whether at home, work or on the run, some simple, small and easy changes for life can make all the difference.
The best ways to maintain a healthy weight
There are heaps of things we can do to get to a healthy weight and, just as importantly, stay there.
How about starting off with these simple ideas:
↪ make healthy living a priority for yourself and your family
↪ choose to eat good, healthy food
↪ think ‘2 fruit and 5 veggies(opens in a new window)’ every day
↪ drink water instead of sugary drinks
↪ shop to be healthy – and help your budget too
↪ change to healthy recipes that are quick to make and delicious too
↪ be active for at least 30 minutes every day
↪ sit less and move more
↪ limit alcohol intake
↪ make healthier choices when eating out
↪ eat breakfast every day
↪ swap big serves for smaller ones
↪ go for healthy snacks.
Tips for breakfast
Aim to have breakfast every day as it’s proven to help keep us at a healthier weight. Get up 15 minutes earlier to make time for a healthy breakfast, or prepare some of it the night before a healthy, filling breakfast will help prevent hunger pangs before lunch.Try one of these tasty breakfast options:
↪ porridge with low-fat milk and top with kiwi fruit
↪ wholegrain toast with a poached egg and grilled tomato
↪ fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk, banana, and yogurt.
Tips for lunch
Have a balanced lunch to keep you going during the day, include one to two serves of vegetables at lunchtime. Pack lunch at home for a healthier alternative to buying your lunch. It will save you money too!
Try one of these delicious lunch ideas:
↪ whole grain sandwich with low-fat cheese and lots of salad
↪ wholegrain wrap with grilled veggies and lean chicken
↪ salad with three-bean mix and corn kernels.
Tips for dinner
Vegetables or salad should fill up at least half your plate at dinnertime, so pile them on! Then fill one-quarter of your plate from the protein choice such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. The remaining quarter is for carbohydrates such as bread, brown rice, pasta or noodles.
Check that serve sizes of protein and carbohydrates are within the recommended daily guidelines.
Try baking, steaming or grilling your meat or vegetables instead of frying.
Cook meals at home more often and limit takeaways to once a week – it will help your budget as well
Try whipping up one of the following for dinner:
↪ tuna and veggie pasta bake with low-fat cheese
↪ chicken and vegetable stir-fry with noodles or rice
↪ barbecue marinated lean meat kebabs and serve with a colorful salad.
Tips for snacks
For a quick, easy and healthy snack try one of these options:
↪ fruit is natures snack! Pack a piece of in-season fruit in your bag to have during the day
↪ a small handful of nuts makes a fantastic snack and contains healthy fats. Make sure they are unsalted, and even add a small amount of dried fruit for extra flavor
↪ low-fat yogurt is a healthy and filling option. Buying 1 kg tubs and dividing into five, 200g portions is cheaper than buying yogurt in portion packs.
Tips for being active
See tips for being active for 30 minutes a day