We, all, know that it is highly important to know how to eat healthy, but also to know how to eat a healthy balanced diet. There are days when diet experts tell you to eat carbohydrates and the very next day, you will see an article to ban them from your diet. It is very confusing.
In order to avoid confusion, we are here to teach you some of the most important tips on how to eat a healthy balanced diet.
How To Eat A Healthy Balanced Diet
An important part of maintaining a good health is eating a healthy and balanced diet. And what is the one word that defines a healthy and balanced diet? Variation. Variation is key.
Make sure to consume a wide variety of foods, in the right proportions that is, and drink a lot of water. These two elements will help you achieve and maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit.
- Do you give your body the right amount of nutrients?
Find out here with these 11 cool tips on how to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
#1. Moderation is key
A diet rich in fat, sugar or salt is obviously not good for us, but so is a diet which includes just fruits and vegetables. Our plate should have all the components of food group be it carbs, fats, proteins or vitamins.
Doctors advise that, from your entire calories, 45-60% should come from carbohydrates, 10-35% from proteins and 20-35 % from fats. So, if you want to eat a little amount of butter on your toast, don’t stop yourself.
#2. Make your carbs healthy
Carbs have received bad press for a long time now but they are extremely important for our energy needs. Eating bread, pasta or potatoes is good for us and they can help contribute to a balanced diet.
We just don’t need to make a creamy pasta or fry the potatoes. Instead, cook pasta with tomato sauce and bake those potatoes for the right kind of nutrition. What do you say?
#3. Include fats in your diet
Fats are very important when talking about how to eat a healthy balanced diet. They are needed for the lubrication of our internal organs and carrying fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamins A, K, and E.
So, it is ok to include fats in your diet, for example, butter and olive oil. Just make sure not to abuse them, but other than that, you don’t need to worry.
#4. Take your right amount of proteins
Proteins help in repairing the tissues and muscles regrowth. Not enough proteins mean wasting of muscles, hair loss, soft nails, etc. So, it is imperative to have proteins in our diet, like eggs, fish and meat.
Often, vegetarians and vegans don’t get enough proteins, so they should include yoghurts, lentils, beans, tofu and nuts in their daily diet in order to get that healthy balanced diet.
#5. Don’t forget to consume calcium
Calcium is vital for our bones, which give strength and balance to our body. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk, cheese, and yoghurt. Experts recommend 2-3 servings of dairy to fulfill the calcium needs of the body.
However, if you are lactose intolerant or don’t like to consume dairy products, then eat a lot of dark leafy greens like watercress and kale, nuts like almonds, and oily fish such as sardines.
#6. Don’t ignore micronutrients
When thinking about how to eat a healthy balanced diet, this also means thinking about the correct amount of micronutrients which should be included in our diet. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.
While Vitamins like A , B and C are important for good eyesight and immunity, minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc help in the mental development and creating haemoglobin in the blood. So, eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs and poultry is advisable to make sure there are enough minerals and vitamins in our body.
#7. Drink plenty of liquids
A balanced diet does not only means food but also your intake of liquids. So drink at least 8 glasses of water. Water helps in the proper functioning of kidneys, flushing out toxins, energising cells and giving your skin a gorgeous glow.
You can also drink fresh fruits juices, vegetable juices, and green tea if you get bored with drinking just water. Make sure you don’t drink packed juice which is full of sugar, soda (again, full of sugar), too much tea or coffee (excess of caffeine).
#8. Reduce the sugar in your diet
We all know the damaging effects sugar has on our health. It causes obesity, lack of concentration, fatty liver and insulin resistance. So, cut down sugar immediately. Cakes, candies, chocolates, soda, processed cereals are biggest culprits.
Make sure you don’t eat them more than once or twice a week. You will see how your lethargy and those five pounds slowly melt away! Cutting sugar is very important when talking about how to eat a healthy balanced diet.
#9. Try not to add extra salt
A healthy and balanced diet does not have to include an extra amount of salt. Sodium is found in salt and is needed for the balance of fluids in our body and a proper nerve transmission. But extra sodium causes water retention, high blood pressure, and kidney diseases.
It’s best that we try to eliminate it from our diet by not eating processed foods like chips, bacon,pizzas or sauces like soy and ketchup. Do not add extra salt in your food. For flavour, try using lemon, spices and herbs.
#10. Start cooking your food
We should be eating at least 21 meals a week. Let’s make sure that at least 18 meals are cooked at home. Home cooked food is clean, less oily and spicy and has less sugar and salt. Plus, it is more delicious.
If you don’t have time during the week, try taking some time out during the weekends to chop vegetables, make pre-cooked meals and freeze them. You can heat them later.
#11. Practice a mindful eating
Take some time when eating your meals. Don’t rush through them. Sit away from your TV, computer, mobile and workstation and without any distraction or negative emotions. If you are around family and friends, try eating with them. Eating meals should be a pleasurable experience and not a rush to the finish line.
You might ask yourself why a balanced diet is important. Well, it is important because, in order to work, our organs and tissues need a proper nutrition. Without a good nutrition, our body won’t perform to the highest and will suffer all kinds of diseases and infections.
The key to a great physical and mental health is to know how to eat a healthy balanced diet. These tips will surely help you achieve a fitter body and an agile brain. Let us know how these tips have helped you and if you know any other ones.
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Feature image and source: Pixabay
