It is a widely held prejudice: eating a balanced diet costs (inevitably) more. Moreover, we can see it clearly: having lunch at a fast food restaurant is much more economical than going to a restaurant … Stop! With a few tips and two-three good reflexes, it is quite possible to adopt a healthy diet without breaking the bank.
First (good) advice from Nathalie Négro, dietitian: shopping responsibly. “Go shopping once a week, preferably solo to avoid the temptations and impatience of those accompanying, recommends the specialist. Avoid going hungry (this stimulates the urge to buy and consume) or right after a meal (food seems disgusting, you don’t buy enough). Buy only what you need using a list.“
How do I put together my shopping list? The dietician’s advice
- The starchy foods must be present at all meals: an adult woman consumes approximately 100 g to 150 g of cooked pasta with each meal, or 150 g of potatoes. Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, red beans, etc.) can replace potatoes or pasta once or twice a week: they are rich in protein.
- The meat, the fish, the sea food and the eggs should be limited to 150 g per day for a woman. It should be noted that canned and frozen foods are interesting from a nutritional point of view.
- On the side of dairy products, the official recommendations are 2 to 3 servings per day and per person: 1 portion of milk = 250 mL, 1 portion of yogurt = 1 pot of 125 g, 1 portion of cottage cheese = 100 g (or 2 large tbsp. s.).
- For the fruits and the vegetables, we buy fresh if it is in season or frozen (but not cooked) if out of season. We recommend 200 g to 300 g per day and per person, in different forms – in salad, in compote, in pie, in quiche, in mash, in soup …
- Finally, in the radius of fat, it is recommended to consume 10 g to 15 g of butter and 2 to 3 tbsp. to c. of oil per day – favoring olive oil and “real” non-light butter.
Thanks to Nathalie Négro, dietician and manager of the Brides-les-Bains thermal baths nutritional center.
Read also :
- Flexitarian Diet: 5 Ways To Eat More Plant Protein
- 8 ways to cook quinoa
- Slimming: what to eat for breakfast to keep your figure?