Introduction
Nutritionally a healthy diet is imperative in maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle. Consuming healthy foods means that our bodies get the appropriate nutrients and energy it needs to avoid sickness and live a healthy dynamic life. Besides, the concept of a balanced diet is not very complicated and it therefore only took the inclusion of meals from the five groups of foods.
What Does a Balanced Diet Mean?
A balanced diet also guarantees the body obtains all the vitamins, the requisite minerals, and calories for a proper nutrition. Such a food plan involves the use of fruits and vegetables, cereals and grains, protein and foods of animal origin and dairy products. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests dividing your plate into portions: one-third servings of fruits and vegetables, and one-third servings of grains and protein foods, and the final third servings of either dairy or dairy-equivalents.
The Five Food Groups
Each food group plays a unique role in maintaining good health:
- Vegetables: It is worth understanding that the vegetables contain many essential nutrients. To keep things interesting and nutritious, choose a mix from five subgroups: pumpkin, tomatoes and spaghetti, potatoes, meat, nuts and cheese, and mainly other vegetables, for example Zucchini. While it is well understood that much of the nutrient value of vegetables is better retained when they are eaten in raw form, the body also needs vegetables which are cooked well and which remain palatable to the rich tastes of the world, especially with respect to red meats.
- Fruits: Fruits contain fiber and nutrients are better than juices because the whole fruits are consumed. Departmentalized fruits, whether they are frozen, fresh or water-canned are better than fruits that are preserved under sugar syrups.
- Grains: Switch to whole grain foods such as quinoa, oats, brown rice, and other foods made from whole grains in preference to refined foods. These grains do not spike the blood sugar and provide energy throughout the day.
- Proteins: To get your protein, you should add lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts into your eating plan. For plant-based diets, the nuts and seeds and beans and legumes are wonderful sources.
- Dairy: Milk and other dairy products that are low or are fat free; or tofu or soy-based foods that are fortified also provide calcium and other nutrients, necessary for bone formation and to keep the teeth healthy.
Healthy Eating for Weight Management
Here it is relevant to add that along with adding better top quality foods to your regular diet, it also boosts the result of weight reduction. Further benefits of the intervention may be obtained by doing it in parallel with other physical activities such as walking or light physical activities. This I think depends on the stiffness of one’s lifestyle and dietary preference where emphasis should be put on healthier foods and not processed ones.
The Bottom Line
That is why a balanced diet is not about ‘avoiding,’ but about ‘choosing’ foods that will be beneficial for your body. That exactly means that one can prepare tasty foods for himself or herself inclusive of all the five food groups.
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