We know that a Balanced Diet gives the nutrients our body needs to function correctly and a Healthy Eating increases our energy and improves the way our body functions. Healthy eating also strengthens our immune systems as well as prevent weight gain. But are we really following a Balanced Diet and Healthy Eating?
With today’s fast life, a good amount of people depend upon Fast Foods or Pre-Cooked and Packed Foods. Cooking in the traditional style is almost extinct due to various reasons like urban living and lack of facilities and time. Result? we harm our body by eating a lot of Junk Foods and Food that have no longer nutrients contained in them.
Importance of Balanced Diet
To get the correct nutrition your body needs, the daily calories should be coming from Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Whole Grain, Legumes, Nuts, Lean Proteins etc. But it is not within reach of everybody due to cost factor as well as non-availability in an Organic form. Most of the vegetables are grown with chemical fertilizers and hence harmful in many cases.
A Balanced Diet supplies the nutrients our body needs to work efficiently and effectively, without which the body is prone to disease, infection, fatigue and reduced performance. Processed food must be avoided as much as possible just like avoiding refined grains, added sugar and salt. Red and processed meat, alcohol and Trans-Fats must be limited or avoided if possible.
Healthy Food and Cooking Tips
Cook your meal at home and eat home food as much as possible to make a healthy eating habit. Add a variety to your meals as repetition can be boring. You don’t have to give up on your favourites to build a healthy food plan. Control or reduce the usage of certain food items and at the same time increase on some others.
For a healthy meal, try to reduce meat and add more vegetables to your dishes. When you bake, use whole wheat flour instead of refined flour. Remove extra oil from fried foods before eating. Those who use Mayonnaise, try to use low-fat yogurt instead. Falvoured Yogurt varieties are available in the market. But instead of that, add cut fruits to the curd and have it. Instead of using normal milk, use skimmed milk. Vegetables lose their nutrients while boiling. Instead of boiling either steam vegetables or microwave them.
As a rule, do not skip any meal and follow a healthy eating habit. Skipping a meal lowers the body’s metabolic rate. Eat 3 major meals and 2 snacks between meals if possible, to follow a normal eating pattern. Breakfast should never be skipped as it is the foremost vital meal of the day. Stop eating the moment you feel full and avoid wastage of food. Cook only whatever you can consume. Keeping it in the fridge and reheating the food for the next time is also not a good practice.
