FOOD A healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel your best. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions and consuming the right amounts of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
A balanced diet meets all a person’s nutritional needs. It consists of foods from five groups, including vegetables, protein and whole grains, which can help control weight and reduce the risk of disease.
According to wellness coach Patricia Hudson Buck, there are four pillars of overall wellness. Experts think exercise, good nutrition, relaxation and sleep are very important for a healthy life. These so-called ‘four pillars’ of health help keep your body functioning, while also doing wonders for your emotional health.
He said a balanced diet should meet all nutritional needs of a person. “People need a certain number of calories and nutrients to stay healthy. A balanced diet provides all the nutrients a person needs without exceeding the recommended daily calorie intake,” Buck said.
By eating a balanced diet, he said, people can get the nutrients and calories they need and avoid eating junk food or foods with no nutritional value.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended following a food pyramid. However, as nutritional science changes, they now recommend consuming foods from five groups and creating a balanced plate.
According to USDA recommendations, half of a person’s plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. The other half should consist of grains and protein. They recommend adding a serving of low-fat dairy or another source of nutrients found in dairy to each meal.
“A healthy, balanced diet includes foods from these five groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy products). The vegetable group includes five subgroups: leafy greens, red or orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, and beans and peas (legumes). To get enough nutrients and keep nutritional deficiencies at bay, people should choose a variety of vegetables, Buck said.
cooking vegetables
People can enjoy raw or cooked vegetables. However, it is important to remember that cooking vegetables removes some of their nutritional value. Additionally, some methods, such as deep-frying, can add unhealthy fats to the food.
A balanced diet also includes plenty of fruit. Nutritionists recommend eating whole fruits instead of juicing them. “Fruit juice contains less nutrients. Additionally, empty calories are often added due to the addition of sugar during the manufacturing process. Buck said people should choose fresh or frozen fruit or fruit canned in water instead of syrup.
Fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day. It is recommended that you eat at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. There is evidence that people who eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
There are two subgroups of grains; whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain: bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grains are broken down slowly by the body, so they have less of an impact on a person’s blood sugar.
Additionally, whole grains tend to contain more fiber and protein than refined grains.
Refined grains are processed and do not contain the three original ingredients. Refined grains also contain less protein and fiber and can cause blood sugar to spike.
“At least half of the grains a person consumes daily should consist of whole grains. Healthy whole grains include quinoa, oats, brown rice, barley and buckwheat,” Buck said.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that all people should include nutrient-dense protein as part of their normal diet. Guidelines suggest that this protein should make up a quarter of a person’s plate.
Nutritious protein options include beef and pork, chicken and turkey, fish, beans, peas and legumes.
Dairy products and fortified soy products are a vital source of calcium. The USDA recommends consuming low-fat versions whenever possible. Low-fat dairy and soy products include ricotta or cottage cheese, low-fat milk, yogurt, and soy milk. People with lactose intolerance can choose low-lactose or lactose-free products or opt for soy-based calcium and other nutritional sources.
Eating a balanced diet means eating foods from five main groups. Nutritional rules change over time as scientists discover new information about nutrition. Current recommendations suggest that a person’s plate should consist primarily of vegetables and fruits, some lean protein, some dairy products and soluble fiber.
keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com