A healthy diet offers the body the nutrients necessary for proper functioning, allowing the individual to have balanced health and good quality of life. However, it is not enough to consume salads and avoid fat. A healthy diet exists when there is a balanced intake of nutrients and vitamins, considering a correct proportion of consumption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fibers, among others.
We have prepared this article to help you understand how to have a healthy and balanced diet. In it, you will learn about:
- Healthy eating
- The importance of having a healthy diet
- Tips for healthy eating
Healthy Eating
Healthy eating is represented graphically through the food pyramid
Have you heard about the concept of the food pyramid? The pyramid is a graphic way to guide people in building an adequate diet for healthy eating.
It is possible to understand the recommended proportions of each food group, ensuring that our body receives the nutrients it needs.
The Base Of The Food Pyramid
At the base of the pyramid are carbohydrates. They are responsible for providing energy. Therefore, almost all carbohydrates end up turning into sugar. This makes these foods often seen as villains in the weight loss process.
The secret, however, to achieve a healthy diet is to consume carbohydrates in their integral versions, which are great suppliers of fiber, vitamins, and minerals in addition to energy. Because they are not as processed as their white or refined versions (such as white rice, for example), they are healthier for the body, in addition to helping with slower absorption – keeping hunger at bay.
At the second level of the base are vegetables, which offer a good intake of fiber and other nutrients responsible for the organism’s functioning and the body’s growth.
If consumed in their raw versions before meals, they help in the functioning of the intestine and help to regulate hunger at the time of the main meal.
This group also includes fruits. However, as fruits contain sugar, consumption must be moderate.
Varying the dishes, and consuming different vegetables, vegetables, and fruits, is essential to ensure the intake of various vitamins and minerals. That’s because each food has different nutrients in different proportions. That saying “the more colorful the plate, the better” is the most accurate statement you’ve ever heard.
Middle Of The Food Pyramid
Meat, eggs, and pulses are part of the next level of the pyramid as protein sources and are responsible for building and repairing tissues. Animal-based proteins, such as red and white meats (poultry and fish ), are also sources of B vitamins and minerals.
Peanuts are examples of a legume that many people confuse with oilseed. You can check its benefits in the article dedicated to it by clicking here.
In addition to animal proteins, there are plant proteins. Anyone who chooses to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet should make the correct exchanges, ensuring that they consume enough protein.
Some examples are beans (all types), lentils, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans.
Still, there are cheeses, milk, and derivatives at this level of the pyramid. Rich in calcium, proteins, and vitamins A and D. Avoid the fatty versions with cheddar cheese. A tip: the more yellow the cheese, the more fat it has.
Those with lactose restrictions should be careful with consuming milk and dairy products. The sugar in milk causes allergies or food intolerance in some people, impairing digestion and resulting in malaise.
Top Of The Food Pyramid
At the top of the pyramid, that is, what should be consumed less, are fats and sugars. Butter, mayonnaise, oils, and olive oils are foods that should be consumed in moderation. Less than 10% of fat is transformed into sugar and energy, and the rest is deposited as fat in the body.
Industrialized products such as cookies, snacks, and the like have a much higher amount of fat than recommended.
Therefore, it is correct to say that a healthy diet is also natural. And with this bias, the Ministry of Health has been working on its guidance campaigns on healthy eating.
What Is Healthy Eating?
Healthy food is a well-balanced diet that provides nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in the right proportions for the proper functioning of the body.
For a healthy diet, it is important to have variety, balance, quantity control (eat what is appropriate for you), and food quality. In other words, knowing the ingredients’ origin is one way to achieve a healthy diet.
Processed foods contain many additives, preservatives, and fats, and over-processing foods causes them to lose most of their nutrients.
It is no wonder that the search for healthy eating and the fight against obesity have brought up discussions in favor of organic food and the consumption of local foods, according to the station.
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