Lockdown Eating Plans

Eating plans require a lot of discipline - it's all about making the right decisions and finding the right balance to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs. The benefits of starting an eating plan:

• It will help you learn portion control
• You will eat healthier
• You will save time

Tricks For Your Lockdown Eating Plan

Eat Food That Is Packed With Vitamins and Minerals

Your body needs as much vitamins and minerals as it can get. Vitamins and minerals help your body function correctly and boost your immune system.

Eat A Lot Of Fruit And Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals that give the body the nourishment it needs. They are also high in fibre, aiding digestion.

Keep Your Meals Simple

Simplicity is the best way to limit over using ingredients and the fewer ingredients in a meal, the easier it will be to control your calorie intake.

Get Rid Of Bad Snacks

Substitute bad snacks with a few healthier alternatives. There are many healthy options for you to choose from. A few good examples are nuts, avocado, lightly salted popcorn and smoothies, just to name a few.

Slow Down On The Extras

It's great that we have time to explore and have fun cooking our favourite food, but sometimes we add too much extra indulgences to our meals, like adding an extra handful of cheese to your pasta, drizzling on extra sauce or going for an extra spoon of sugar. Leaving out all the extras is a quick and easy way to stick to your meal plan and avoid extra calories.

Don't Overindulge

When you are at home and bored, overindulging is very easy. Don't fall victim to this. Stick to your meal plan and have a snack if you're feeling hungry.

Stay Hydrated

Often, we feel hungry when we are just dehydrated, so staying hydrated is vitally important. If you're feeling hungry, drink a glass of water. Wait a while, and eat a healthy snack if you're still hungry.

Five Versatile Foods To Keep In Your Cupboard

Canned Beans

Perks: Filling fibre, B vitamins, minerals and protein Suggestions: Bean curry, bean salad, English breakfast Beans can be part of your breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can add these versatile legumes to many different dishes. They also make a great alternative to meat.

Eggs

Perks: Protein, choline Suggestions: Boiled eggs, baked goods, egg on steak Not only are eggs versatile but they last for a while, making them the perfect ingredient to keep in your pantry.

Bananas

Perks: Potassium, complex carbohydrates Suggestions: Banana bread, smoothie Bananas are a great source of energy after an intense workout.

Apples

Perks: Fibre Suggestions: Salad, apple crumble, juice Apples are a good snack. They can be added to meals, baked or even sauteed.

Garlic

Perks: Vitamin C and B6, thiamine, potassium, phosphorus, copper and magnesium Suggestions: Stews, roasts, sauces Garlic is great for adding flavour to food and is sometimes used in medicinal products because of all its health benefits. Check out more exciting lockdown challenges here.