Delicious Eating Plans That Can Boost Your Health #healthyeating #eathealthy #Healthy2021

Every January...like clockwork...most people's focus changes from holiday indulgence to losing weight and getting healthy! After a crazy 2020, these changes seem to be more popular than ever as 2021 starts. Everyone wants to lose weight and maximize their health...but deprivation is a huge turnoff. Today, The Weekend Gourmet correspondent is sharing the first in this year's #Healthy2021 features...focusing on four eating plans that let you enjoy tasty foods while still losing weight and optimizing your health. This post may contain affiliate links.

We all understand that what we eat has a profound effect on our health and wellbeing. The problem is that many of us also get a great deal of pleasure and enjoyment from food, which means changing or restricting what we eat can be a challenge. Fortunately, some eating plans allow us to indulge in delicious food and still maximize our health! Keep reading to find out more information about these four dietary options.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is certainly a treat for anyone looking to maximize their health and overall eating experience. After all, it promotes a diet rich in fish, poultry, veggies and fruits, grains, legumes, and virgin olive oil. 

 

You can even indulge in a few glasses of red wine each night, which has been proven to be excellent for the cardiovascular system. Indeed! One of the biggest draws for people vacationing in the Mediterranean is the delicious food they get to sample while visiting there. Delicious and healthy is a great combination! 

Keto Diet 

The next dietary option is to go keto. The Ketogenic "keto" diet is all about reducing starchy carb-laden foods while upping your intake of fats and protein. The great thing about this is that foods that are high in protein and fat can be incredibly delicious. For example, a totally acceptable meal on the keto diet is a meaty pork chop -- with the fat left on for extra flavor -- finished in creamy blue cheese sauce. The pork chop would be served with non-starchy vegetables like leeks and broccoli on the side. It's worth noting that there are different approaches to doing the keto diet. Some choose to eat processed food like cured meats and cheeses, which can contain excess sodium. Others prefer a clean keto approach, which focuses on whole foods, good fats, and more scratch cooking. The latter approach allows you to eat great tasting food -- but also takes care of your health and wellbeing in the long term. 

Raw Food Diet 

You may not currently consider raw fruits and vegetables the most delicious eating option, but a week or two eating the raw food diet can really change your mind! After all, consuming raw fruits and vegetables is the way humans originally ate. Most of us are used to the taste of cooked and processed food. However, many people who take a more mindful approach to what they eat report that the subtle flavors and complexity of raw fruits and vegetables are more exciting than the overpowering tastes of cooked alternatives. 

 

Vegan Diet 

Finally, when it comes to delicious and healthy meals, why not consider a vegan approach? This is a way of eating that eliminates all meat, fish, and other animal products like eggs and dairy. However, that doesn't mean that you can't cook and eat some wonderfully exciting dishes on this plan! For example, consider vegan sausage rolls, Asparagus & lemon spaghetti with peas, and even Beet & Red Onion Tarte Tatin.