What Are The Components of a Healthy Diet? Tips on Eating Healthy Foods

We Are What We Eat

Eating a healthy diet has many beneficial effects on both humans and animals. When we eat healthy, we not only look and feel better, but we are protected from colds and serious illnesses. How healthy is your diet?

We need to concentrate on balanced diets which provide all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fats, so that we can maintain our health and well-being. If we get rid of junk food, or at least limit an intake of it and add a regular program of exercise to eating healthy, there will be no need to go on fad diets, many of which, while they help us to lose weight, sometimes do more harm than good. One example is the weight returning twofold once the diet ends.

Make Healthy Eating A Lifetime Habit

The first step in healthy eating is to start your day with a healthy breakfast. Consider fresh fruits or fresh fruit juices. Invest in a juicer and make your own fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Fresh juice is better than canned juice. If you love cereal, make sure you choose a healthy cereal, rather than one that’s full of sugars and fats.

Instead of snacking on chips or cookies if you feel hungry during the morning, have some more fresh fruit, like a banana, cantaloupe, an orange or an apple, some fresh peaches, cherries or grapes or any fruit of your choice.

Health experts recommend at least four to five servings of fruit a day. Lots of servings of vegetables and salads also feature in healthy eating. How many servings of fruit, vegetables and salad do you eat each day?

Lunchtime is your opportunity to have a big salad with your favorite fresh, raw vegetables. If you prefer a sandwich, try to use whole grain bread, or you may prefer a good vegetable soup.

Dinnertime provides many options. You can have your choice of meat, chicken, fish or shellfish with vegetables and salad. You may have baked potatoes, rice, pasta or soup. The important thing is how you cook your food.

Cooking Methods

While raw foods ought to feature in a great portion of healthy meals, cooked food is also necessary. However, the method you use to cook your food is very important.

Try to cook fruits and vegetables as little as possible, or not at all. If vegetables need to be cooked, steam them to help retain the nutrients. Add very little oil or fat to your foods, and remove any visible oil or fat from food before you serve it. Boil, steam, or poach foods instead of frying or roasting with oil. Grill meat instead or roasting or frying. Leafy vegetables may look neat when they are cut with a knife, but it is better to tear them.

Take Time To Reflect

Take some time to reflect on how you eat, and try to determine how healthy your diet is, after reading these tips. Ask yourself, “Do I eat breakfast?", “Are my breakfasts as healthy as they can be?", “Do I eat the recommended portions of fruit and vegetables each day; how many portions of these do I eat?", “Do I eat high-fat foods such as sausages, pies, burgers, chips, cheese or butter; if so, how often; several times a day, most days or once a week or less?"

Ask yourself what cooking methods you use most often? Which are your favorite snacks? Do you snack a lot in front of the television? Do you drink too much alcohol? How often do you include calcium-rich dairy foods such as milk, cheese or yogurt in your diet?

Remember that a healthy diet is all about balance. Follow simple guidelines and you can still enjoy food. Pay attention to the suggestions given in this article. Eat a variety of different foods; ensure that many of them are rich in fiber. Restrict your use of salt. Be moderate in your use of alcohol. Food should be one of life’s pleasures, but it should be both a pleasure and beneficial at the same time.