The home food environment is probably one of the most important factors when it comes to the obesity epidemic. Just recently, the Society for Nutrition and Education and Behavior published the results of their study which supports the aforementioned belief. The research employed the help of obese, low-income Afro-American women as test subject. The study took place somewhere in Georgia and they focused on which factors contribute to obesity—the kinds of food available at home, how those foods are prepared, where the foods are stored plus a slew of other factors.
Although a large number of the participants in that study said that they have a wide variety of foods at home, including fruits and veggies, they also have a high number of fatty foods and snacks that are easily accessible to them. The test subjects also watched TV while eating and ate fast-food almost thrice a week.
So what are the take-aways of this study? It only means that an unhealthy home food environment can be a trigger to having unhealthy eating habits which then leads to gaining excess weight. Listed below are a few ways to improve the health of your home food environment.
1. Switch the TV off when eating.
2. Remove the high-fat snacks/food in your house.
While fat is not always the reason for your weight gain, having easy access to high fat snacks in your house can hamper your progress when it comes to the weight loss department. Try replacing those processed fats with natural fats like those that are found in avocados, eggs and nuts. Those are far better alternatives which can work wonders for your weight.
3. Do not go overboard with fastfood.
Oftentimes, fastfoods are riddled with too much fat—certainly not gonna contribute to your weight loss agenda.
4. Cut down on sugary treats
Consuming too much sweetened beverages and treats is a big no-no, especially when you are attempting to discard excess weight.
5. Learn healthy food preparations
Skip fryng if you can since that is a surefire way of adding an unnecessary amount of fats in the food you’re eating. Instead of frying, opt to bake or grill foods. The internet is rich in recipes that can help in the healthy yet tasty preparations of your favourite foods.
