Let’s face it. We don’t generally have a great rap when it comes to eating healthy. We’re often perceived to be munching down on bacon and eggs at breakfast, burgers and fries for lunch, pizza for dinner – and while there’s nothing wrong with that (on occasion), it’s not doing our health any good.
Research has found that men’s diets tend to lack Vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin B12, potassium, and iodine. Considering how busy life gets, it’s no surprise, but it’s probably also part of the reason why women live longer! Time to break that statistic, guys!
With a few simple changes to lifestyle and diet, you can get your health back on track, without standing in a kitchen for hours every night. Here’s how.
Know What You Need
Often, the biggest choice we have to make in a day is what we’re going to eat – and let’s face it, more often than not, it’s much less hassle to put a frozen pizza in the oven. But are you eating right, and more importantly, what IS right?
On average, adults need to eat 8,700 kilojoules per day but even that figure varies, depending on your gender. Men usually have more muscle and they’re taller – that means you need more calories. It also depends on how active you are; so, a builder would need to eat a lot more than an accountant. Use a kilojoule calculator for a more accurate number.
Now you know how much to eat, you also need to know what to eat. You’ve got five food groups and you need to aim for the following:
1. Vegetables – 5-6 serves a day – eg ½ cup of carrots is one serve
2. Fruit – 2 serves per day – a banana, or two plums
3. Grains – 6 serves a day – 1 serve = 1 slice of bread, ½ cup porridge or rice
4. Lean meats, fish, tofu, nuts, eggs, seeds, legumes – 2.5-3 serves a day – 1 serve = 65g lean red meat, two eggs or 150g lentils
5. Dairy – 2.5-3.5 serves on average for adult men – 1 serve = a cup of milk
Keep in mind that men aged under 18 and over 70 may have different requirements.
Meal Prep
So, how can you make sure you eat right when you’re always so busy? It all comes down to meal prep! But that takes effort. Wrong! Do your shopping online during your lunch break and arrange for it to be delivered to your home on a Saturday morning. Decide what you want to make before you shop and keep it all handy. On Sunday, spend an hour or two cooking up a storm. Go for a mixture of meals – some that can be enjoyed fresh, and ones that can be frozen for a later date. Then, when you’re rushing through the door at 7pm and need a pick-me-up, you can pop a veggie lasagne into the microwave rather than grabbing a bag of chips.
Buy Ready Made
If you don’t have the time or energy to prep on the weekends, ready-made meals are the answer to your prayers. Chefgood offers a huge variety of meal options that are filled with all the nutrients you need to get you through the day – and keep your body healthy. From delicious smoothies for breakfast to wraps for lunch and stroganoff for dinner, there are plenty of options you can choose from and you barely have to lift a finger. You’ll also find an assortment of Chefgood meals to suit special dietary requirements, including vegetarian and vegan, no added gluten and no added dairy delights.
Taking care of your health is essential, and it’s never too late to make a change that’s for the better. Get your food right, in the simplest way, and you have more time to focus on the things that matter most – family, friends, and footy.
