By Mohammad Adnan Mirza

Don’t let healthy eating feel like a struggle.

People today have become more aware of what they put in their bodies. With media bombarding fit body images everywhere, people are subconsciously striving to get fit. Phrases such as “You are what you eat” are being taken with much more seriousness and the recurrent decline on that slice of cake has become the norm.

By now we all know that a good diet and exercise plan go hand in hand. You need them both to get fit. A lot of people manage going to gym regularly but fail at eating healthy.

Fast food giants have identified this issue and now you see salads and grilled items in all the menus. But, there is a catch to that. Most of those items are loaded with sodium or sugar if they are labeled as low fat. Even though it may seem convenient but you’re not getting the bang for your buck. There are a lot of companies now selling pre made meals customized according to your goals but most are expensive and lack variety.

Manage Your Own Diet

• Plan your weekly meals and grocery list a week in advance.

• Use your weekends to prepare meals in advance.

• Portion control is important so if possible make portions and refrigerate in an airtight container.

• Wash and cut your vegetables and refrigerate in sealed plastic bags and use throughout the week as needed.

• You can cut up fruits like bananas and strawberries and freeze in portions to make smoothies.

• Have healthy snacks like dried fruits and nuts on hand at home and at work to avoid junk food.

• Make wise food choices while eating out. Go with the baked or mashed potato instead of the fries and have your salad dressing on the side instead of drizzling over the salad.

• If you want to order dessert, share with everyone.