Overview
Food is a crucial part of our daily lives that give us energy. But we need to understand that our body is not a trash can and it’s bad to eat whatever and however we like. Consuming more than standard required calories is bad for health and increases the risk of diseases. A balanced diet makes sure we intake only a required number of calories in a day.
For a healthy lifestyle, one must eat a balanced and healthy diet. It protects us from various serious diseases and keeps us fit.
What is a Balanced and Healthy Diet?
A balanced diet is a diet plan that consists of all the nutrients your body needs to function properly. It has the right amount of vitamins, minerals, fibres, carbs, etc that a body actually requires. It is about eating the right things in the right amount. A balanced diet consists of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, etc.
We all consume calories that is the amount of energy a food item gives. These calories are used by the body to function and perform daily activities like standing, walking, and other major functions. We should consume only a standard amount of calories each day to stay healthy.
How To Achieve A Balanced And Healthy Diet?
Achieving a balanced and healthy diet is not difficult. We should know what and how much food is good for our body. Once we know this, we only need to follow it in our daily routine. It is crucial for everyone to understand the importance of a healthy diet and make sure we follow it. We can achieve a healthy diet by remembering the following things:
- Don’t forget Fresh Fruits
Fruits are very nutritious and are good for our bodies. Fruits have high sugar in them which is not harmful because it is a type of natural sugar. Including a bowl of fresh seasoned fruits in everyday diet is beneficial for the body.
- Eat colourful Vegetables
Vegetables should be an important part of our diet as it consists of major minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. One should consume vegetables of all the colours that come in different seasons. Also, include highly nutritious green vegetables like spinach, kale, green beans, broccoli, etc in your diet.
- Limit Sugar Intake
A lot of sugar intake means consuming a lot of calories. High sugar intake leads to obesity that in turn can increase the risk of heart diseases, joint problems, high BP, etc. For a healthy diet, our sugar intake should be less than 10% of total calorie intake. Avoid all the food items that have high sugar content.
- Cut Down on Salt
Consuming food items that have high salt content is not good for our bodies. High salt in our body increases blood pressure and stiffens blood vessels. We should cut down the salt intake to around 5 grams per day. Salt intake more than this gradually harms our body and can also increase the chances of stroke and premature death.
- Eat less Fat
Our food items contain fat that gives us energy and make us feel full. Consuming a high amount of unhealthy fats like unsaturated and trans fat is harmful to the body and increases the risk of stroke and heart diseases. Watch out for the fat intake in your diet to ensure that you don’t consume a lot of fat in a day.
The following drinks and foods can be consumed daily for good health.
Morning | Afternoon | Night |
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Foods To Avoid
As a part of a healthy and balanced diet, we must avoid eating a lot of certain food items like:
- Refined grains like white flour, white bread, white rice, etc.
- Highly processed foods like cheese, bread, bacon, microwave meals, etc.
- Food items that have added sugar and salt like candy, cakes, cookies, snacks, etc.
- Alcohol
Conclusion
Achieving a healthy and balanced diet is not at all difficult. Once you know what your body needs, just give that to in adequate amounts. Eat healthy things and avoid junk. Remember that our bodies are not trash cans and we are not supposed to put anything in our stomachs. Keep yourself fit and strong by eating healthy.