Guide to General Wellness – Healthy Eating
Caloric balance is crucial to a healthy diet. It involves consuming the right amount of calories based on your level of physical activity to match the energy you expend. Consuming excessive calories leads to weight gain as unused energy is converted to fat, while consuming too little results in weight loss. In addition, it’s crucial to have a diverse diet to ensure that your body receives a balanced supply of nutrients. Healthy eating is essential for overall wellness, and these four tips provide a solid foundation for better food choices.
Healthy Eating to General Wellness
Below are some ways to healthy eating for general wellness:
1- Base your meals on higher fiber starchy carbohydrates
Starchy carbohydrates are essential in a balanced diet and should make up approximately one-third of your food intake. Examples include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals.
Opting for high-fiber or whole-grain options, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or potatoes with skin, can increase fiber intake and help you feel full for an extended period. Despite popular belief, starchy foods are not necessarily fattening as they provide fewer calories per gram than fat.
Pay attention to the fats added during preparation or serving, as this increases the calorie content. For example, oil on fries, butter on bread, or creamy sauces on pasta can contribute to an increased calorie count. Aim to include at least one starchy food in each main meal.
2- Eat a variety of foods
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating categorizes the foods that make up a daily diet into five major food groups.
These five food groups are:
- Vegetables and legumes or beans
- Fruit
- Lean meats and poultry, fish, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, or beans
- Grain (cereal) foods, mostly whole grain or high cereal fiber varieties
- Milk, yogurt, cheese, or alternative, mostly reduced fat.
Foods are grouped as they offer similar vital nutrients. For example, the milk, yogurt, cheese, and alternatives group is a rich source of calcium and protein. At the same time, the fruit provides essential vitamins, particularly vitamin C. It’s critical to consume various foods from each of the five food groups in the recommended amounts to maintain a well-rounded, nutritious diet.
Selecting different foods within each group ensures that you obtain various types and amounts of essential nutrients. Additionally, incorporating a range of foods will keep your meals exciting and prevent boredom with your diet.
3- Occasional foods
A healthy diet does not require “junk foods,” so you should only eat them rarely. These foods are high in unhealthy fats, added sugars, salt, and alcohol and low in fiber and other vital nutrients. Excessive consumption of these foods leads to weight gain and an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
Examples include sweet treats, processed meats, fried foods, sugary drinks, and high-fat dairy products. It’s okay to indulge in these foods now and then, but it’s crucial to ensure they don’t replace nutritious options in your regular diet.
4- Restaurant meals
If you are looking to reduce your intake of saturated fat, added salt, added sugars, and kilojoules from restaurant meals and takeaway foods, try these tips:
- Opt for bread-based options such as wraps, kebabs, souvlaki, or hamburgers instead of deep-fried and pastry options.
- Include extra vegetables and salad, and choose smaller portions or share with someone else.
- Limit high-fat, high-salt sauces and toppings such as cheese, fatty meats, and mayonnaise, and opt for tomato-based pasta sauces instead of cream-based sauces.
- Fast food options with low levels of saturated fat and added salt include pizzas with less cheese and meat, grilled chicken burgers or wraps, grilled lean meat hamburgers without cheese or bacon, and grilled fish burgers.
- Don’t upsize your meal, and drink plenty of water.
Following these suggestions, you can enjoy restaurant meals and takeaways while maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
The Bottom Line
Healthy eating is an essential aspect of overall wellness. A balanced diet comprising the five major food groups can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and provide the nutrients for a healthy body. For those struggling to find healthy meal options, Gourmet Pure delivers the largest selection of nutritionally balanced meals, with convenient health-conditioned menus tailored to meet your dietary requirements.
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