Health Hacker: Ready-to-eat foods that are surprisingly good for you

With Australians in isolation, there are more hours to fill during the day and the easiest way to fill them is with eating. Health and fitness expert Adam MacDougall says we should swap pantry staples like rice and pasta for foods higher in protein and fibre.

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Hopefully you’re reading this while tucked in at home, limiting visitors and only leaving the house when you absolutely have to. The only way we’re going to beat this thing is by stopping its spread and the only way to do that is to keep our distance.

But while we might be safe from the coronavirus in our homes, we are putting ourselves in danger of slipping into an unhealthy lifestyle, one in which our new streaming addictions put the NBN to the ultimate test.

Worse, it feels like there are more hours to fill during the day now, and the easiest way to fill them is with eating. That in and of itself wouldn’t be such a bad thing – eating more healthy food is never a problem – but you only need to take a wander around some of our depleted supermarkets to see exactly what products we’re all stocking up on.

There are healthy food alternatives, Adam MacDougall says.

Rice, pasta, cereals and breads were the first to go because they can last for ages and are relatively easy to turn into big, filling meals. Unfortunately, those kinds of high-energy foods are exactly what we should be eating less of at the moment.

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We’re moving less now than before the coronavirus arrived on our shores, whether that was going to the gym or simply walking to and from the train station. And so we’re simply not doing enough to burn off the empty carbohydrates in these foods.

Stress, which we’re all feeling at the moment, also changes the way our bodies use energy. Higher stress levels increase your body’s capacity to put weight on, and it increases your love for sugary foods, too because when you’re in a permanent state of flight or fight, your brain is looking for quick energy and it knows exactly where to find it.

While I’m not a big fan of demonising food groups, these are unprecedented times, and so my advice is to swap those pantry staples for foods that are higher in protein, fibre and good fats.

These will last just as long as pasta and rice and they’re much better for you.

Here’s how:

SMASH your shopping

Grab some tinned fish and mix it in with a salad, Adam MacDougall says. Picture: iStock

Tinned fish is a fantastic source of slow-release energy, and is both high in protein and omega 3s, and low in fat. Dr Dale Bredesen is a genius in the field of brain health and he recommends using the SMASH diet, which stands for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardine and herring, all of which are available in tins or jars and last forever in the cupboard.

You just need to open a can and dig in, or mix it through a salad.

Bring beans back

Baked beans are known as one of the world’s first super foods, filled with protein, fibre, iron and calcium, as well as slow-release energy (which means you won’t fall asleep on the couch as you enter your 10th hour of Netflix). And like all legumes, beans are incredibly good for your gut health, too.

Get nutty

Not just high in protein and healthy fats, but a handful of nuts per day has also been shown to reduce your risk of depression by up to 20 per cent. Up to 90 per cent of the body’s serotonin (our happy chemical) is produced in the gut, which is exactly where nuts do their best work. This might be the world’s healthiest snack, so ditch the chips and get nutty.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS

Make your own baked beans.

Baked beans are a wonder food but the store-bought varieties can be high in salt and sugar. An even better option is to make your own at home, and it couldn’t be easier.

Simply saute a little garlic in a pan, throw in a can of butter beans or borlotti beans, as well as plenty of pasta sauce (look for one that is 100 per cent tomatoes) and vegetable stock.

Let that simmer for around 30 minutes and you’ve got the best-tasting baked beans you’ve ever tried.

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Adam MacDougall is the creator of The Man Shake. A new, healthy, weight loss shake that is low in sugar, full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that you can have on the run and leaves you feeling full.

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Originally published as Health Hacker: Ready-to-eat foods that are surprisingly good for you