Proper nutrition is a practice, I am finding. And not necessarily one where the path is obvious. I am discovering that for me, proper nutrition requires a little research and planning coupled with mindful cooking and eating.
After paying the $50 or so annual membership to unlock the hidden features of myfitnesspal, I have been surprised to find out that what I thought – through rough estimation and intuition, mostly – to be a healthy diet, is lacking in certain areas.
So I started tinkering with myfitnesspal to see what a balanced, healthy day within my calorie limit might look like.
Along the way, I learned some interesting truths and realised some replacements might be in order. Go ahead and laugh at me if these were common knowledge to you:
- Peanut butter is rich in micro-nutrients, but almond butter seems to have more.
- Cereals are very deceptive in terms of nutritional content. Amazingly, spoon-size shredded wheat seems to be a winner, with high nutrients and low sugar. Kashi Go Lean Crunch is good too, but has a lot of sugar (and is a lot more expensive).
- Chips, regardless of how expensive, organic, non-GMO or other attractive, virtuous labelling are truly empty calories.
- Strawberries are very high in potassium
- Kale, spinach, swiss chard and collard greens are very high in calcium
- Beans and lentils are must-eats for iron, potassium, calcium and protein
- Potatoes are kind of a wonder food: very high in potassium!
- Bananas are very helpful, as are most fruits
- Dates are nutrient-rich
- Avocados are rich in potassium and other nutrients, but very high in fat.
My takeaways:
- I will add almond butter to my pantry, and when I have two toasts, I may make one with peanut butter and the other with almond butter.
- Time to cut chips and other “empty calories” out. Eat only what contributes to day.
- Spoon-size shredded wheat appears to be a great breakfast cereal, when loaded with fruit and berries and eaten with oat milk.
- Green leafy vegetables like kale and swiss chard need to be a bigger part of my life, as do potatoes
- Bananas and dates are in. As are avocados, in limited quantities.
Since I have gotten serious about fitness and wellness, I am going to be more systematic about nutrition. Let’s see how this goes.
Remember, I am talking about research and observations for myself here. I am not making any recommendations to anyone except myself. Go do your own research, experiment and find out what works for you.