What is a Balanced Diet?

Your diet should be healthy and balanced. It should consist of adequate amounts of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fibers. You should include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as dairy products in your daily diet. Generally, it should be low in fats and rich in proteins and carbohydrates.

Healthy Eating Habits

A key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of variety, balance and moderation. You should eat a variety of foods without gaining excessive calories or any of nutrients. Here are some useful tips for healthy eating habits:

1. Eat a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods. More than 40 different nutrients are required for normal growth and functioning of the body. Our daily meals should contain whole-grain products, fresh vegetables and fruits, poultry, dairy products, fish, meat and other protein foods. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in fats, sodium and calories. Most vegetables contain and antioxidants phytochemicals, which prevent some chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancers.
2. Don’t skip a breakfast. After not eating anything for past 10-12 hours during night, our body requires food to boost the energy levels. Your breakfast should consist of fruits and a glassful of milk or fresh fruit juice. Avoid eating oily, high calorie snacks in breakfast.
3. Your lunch should be the largest meal of the day. Start every meal with a low-fat starter including soup, salad, broth or a glass of water. Your lunch should include enough quantity of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Include some raw vegetables and fruits in your lunch. Eat slowly and take care that you are not eating more than required. Your lunch should be followed by a fruit juice or fruit salad.





4. We all need some snacks in between two meals. So choose the snacks very carefully. Avoid eating junk foods, which lack in nutrients and contain high calories. Instead, select some healthy snacks such as vegetables, fruits, cottage cheese with applesauce, low fat yogurt, whole-wheat crackers or some trail mix. Dietary sugars can be replaced with no-calorie sweeteners.
5. Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday. It keeps your body hydrated. It is also helpful for body cleanse and weight loss.
6. If you keep a reasonable serving size, then it’s easy to eat adequate quantity of food and stay healthy. Excess eating can give rise to a number of health problems, including obesity.
7. If you are trying for weight loss, then don’t go for crash diets or don’t totally eliminate certain foods. You can reduce the foods that are rich in sugar, fat or salt. You can choose skim or low fat dairy products. If you are going to do some changes in your diet, then do it gradually. Sudden changes can give rise to food allergies.

10 Most Healthy Foods to Eat

Apples: Everybody is familiar with the saying of ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ But, why is that so? It is because apple is rich in many nutrients, that keeps you healthy and prevents you from going to the doctor. Apple with its skin is a source of pectin and fiber and a huge amount of flavonoid antioxidants. The fiber helps to lower cholesterol, and the antioxidants reduce the risk of heart problems, cancer and strokes.

Quick Recipe Tip: Cut apples into small cubes add lemon juice and walnuts and raisins, with some cinnamon and nutmeg powder, add a spoon of yogurt and mix well. Enjoy the apple-walnut salad!

Cantaloupes: Cantaloupes are called mushmelon, rockmelon, muskmelon or spanspek. They belong to the same family of watermelons and squashes. They are loaded in vitamin C, carotenoid antioxidants and potassium, and have many health benefits. It helps to reduce inflammation, boost immunity, prevent cancer, prevent heart diseases, and protect the skin from sunburn.

Quick Recipe Tip: You can make a salad of cantaloupes, however they are best enjoyed alone. So, cut a cantaloupe in two parts, scoop out the seeds. And enjoy scooping and eating it with a spoon!

Berries: Berries are also known as superfoods, they are the most healthy foods for weight loss. They are loaded in antioxidants, and thus help to prevent various types of cancer, protect the body from heart diseases, and help in weight loss. Eat blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries regularly to boost your immunity.

Quick Recipe Tip: Simply make juice of the berries, and enjoy sipping it!

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are inexpensive, and easily available. But did you know they are loaded in nutrients? They are rich in carotenoids, potassium, vitamin C and fiber. They boost your immunity against many common diseases and prevent cancer.

Quick Recipe Tip: Simply bake/boil sweet potatoes and them mix some applesauce and pineapple and enjoy!

Broccoli: Many people hate green vegetables. But, if you get broccoli next time in your plate, do eat it… Why? Because it has incomparable disease fighting potential! Broccoli is packed with antioxidants which helps to reduce the risk of stomach, lung and rectal cancers. Also, it is rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and folate. It helps greatly to improve your immunity against common cold and flu infections.

Quick Recipe Tip: Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan, and add sliced broccoli. Cover the pan and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Then toss it with lemon juice and salt and let it cook for a few more minutes. Add pepper to taste.

Carrots: Did you know that carrots are excellent for skin health? Carrots are loaded with antioxidants like vitamin A and vitamin C. They also contains calcium and potassium. Carrots greatly help to maintain blemish free and acne free skin. Besides helping to strengthen the eyes, due to its rich antioxidants content, carrots also help to fight cancer.

Quick Recipe Tip: Make carrot juice with a piece of ginger and drink it everyday and maintain great blemish free skin!

Garbanzo Beans: All beans are very good for health. However, the tastiest and most loaded in nutrients are garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. These beans are rich in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They greatly help to combat many immunity related disorders. They are rich in iron, which is good for women who are pregnant or lactating. Regular consumption of garbanzo beans helps to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Quick Recipe Tip: Soak garbanzo beans overnight, and boil them till they are cooked. Toss them with some herbs and a bit of salt and pepper and enjoy the snack!

Yogurt: Yogurt is one of the yummiest and healthiest food! Why? It is a natural probiotic, contains power boosting protein and has bone building calcium. Regular consumption of yogurt will help you get rid of heartburn and other digestive system related problems. It can also boost your immunity and help you combat common cold.

Quick Recipe Tip: Add bananas and cereal to yogurt and you have a take-away breakfast!

Quinoa: Quinoa is rich source of protein, riboflavin and magnesium. This is one of the healthiest of grains. It is also a good source of fiber. Quinoa contains all the essential amino acids, which are required by the body to grow and repair tissues. It prevents from many cancers, and reduces migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels. Whenever eating quinoa make sure you rinse it first, or it will taste bitter.

Quick Recipe Tip: Here is a side dish recipe. Cook quinoa in a pan and add chopped apple and rosemary. Then remove it from heat and add apple, honey, rosemary and cinnamon.

Salmon: Salmon is natural and rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial for our physical and mental health. Plus, salmon is low in calories. Eating salmon helps prevent inflammation, heart diseases, diabetes, certain cancers and arthritis.

One common misconception is that the diet that improves your health will continue to support your health over a long period of time. For instance, an unhealthy person becomes healthy after sticking to a strict regime of raw fruit and fruit juice. He or she then decides that this is the healthy way to eat and continues to follow the diet for an extended period of time. Now some individuals may do fine on fruit for long periods of time, but chances are that most people will find themselves severely out-of-balance on such a severe diet. The point is that foods can be medicines and can bring an unbalanced condition into balance, but they can also cause an imbalance if overdone. If you are instructed to take a medicine to cure an illness, when you are cured you should discontinue the regime. The same is true when using diet to cure conditions. This does not mean you need to go back to the poor diet you indulged in that made you ill in the first place. Just learn how to be balanced in what you eat and always to use good judgment. Remember: The cure is not always the rule, and the rule is not always the cure!

Why Healthy Eating?
When you are young you have lots of energy. You can exercise longer without getting tired; your joints are more flexible; you recover more quickly when you are sick; and you will heal better when you are injured. When you come into the world you were equipped with a body that was designed to stay healthy.

A Balanced Diet:
Doctors often advise us to eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet gives us energy, it allows the body to repair itself, grow strong and stay healthy. In order to do all of those things different foods have to provide us with the following basic things:

1. Carbohydrates

– This give us energy.

1. Proteins – we need these for growth and repair of body tissues such as muscles, skin and hair.
2. Fats – these also give us energy, keep us warm and do lots of other things in the body that help to keep us healthy, although – not all fats are good for us.
3. Fibre – This is needed to keep the food we eat moving through our digestive system. It also helps us to go regularly to the so that our bodies can get rid of the waste left over from the foods we eat. If this did not happen we would poison ourselves with our own waste products.
4. Water – Most of our bodies are made up from water, so it is very important we get enough in order to function normally. This is why we can only survive a matter of days without water; however, if we have enough to drink we can last weeks without food.
5. Vitamins and Minerals – These are substances that are needed by the body in tiny amounts. They are involved in lots of processes in the body.

6. Minerals – Such as calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorous are all elements.

   Like vitamins they are essential to the body if we are to stay healthy and grow normally. A good example is calcium. This mineral forms an important part of bones and teeth.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid – Tips

Harvard School of Public Health developed a nutrition guide for healthy eating called “The Healthy Eating Pyramid”. The principles underlying the Healthy Eating Pyramid stress mainly two things. They are regular exercise and weight control. The Healthy Eating Pyramid lays the foundation of healthy eating in eating more of vegetables and whole grains and less of red meat and refined grains. Here are a few tips to follow “Healthy Eating Pyramid”.

Regular Exercise - Regular exercise is the basic principle for any healthy diet pyramid. The reason is it helps to keep your weight in check.

Focus on Food You Eat - The Healthy Eating Pyramid guides you to what kind of food you should eat, how you should eat and when you should eat. It advises you as to the number of servings you can eat. So eat your fill of healthy food and do not worry about the calories.

Give Importance to Vegetables - This guide stresses on a vegetarian diet that includes plenty of fruits and green vegetables daily. You can also use whole grains and healthy fats such as canola and olive oil.

Avoid Red Meat - The healthy nutritional guide advises on avoiding red meat such as beef and mutton. It would be a good idea to forgo refined grains, carbonated/sugary drinks, potatoes and salty snacks. Instead of red meat have fish or lean meat such as turkey, chicken and other poultry.

Have a Multivitamin Daily - This healthy diet pyramid suggests the inclusion of multivitamins in your daily diet.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid – Different Levels

There are six levels in the “Healthy Eating Pyramid” and each level has a group of foods recommended in your daily diet.

First Group - The food belonging to this group includes breads and cereals. You can have maximum 10 to 12 helpings a day. Grains form the basis of this level.

Second and Third Groups - The food items falling in this group include vegetables and fruits. They are a source of fiber and vitamins. The health pyramid recommends at least 4 servings a day.

Fourth Group - The fourth food level consists of dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt. The “Healthy Eating Pyramid” recommends 3 servings per day.

Fifth Group - Foods that provide vitamins, minerals and protein are included in this group. Some of the foods recommended in the fifth level are meat, poultry, eggs and fish. You should also include dry fruits, nuts and beans. Have at least 2 helpings a day.

Sixth Group - This is the last group in the “Healthy Eating Pyramid” and is placed at top in the food pyramid. These food items are high in sugar and fat. It is wise to consume these foods sparingly.

Here are a few healthy eating tips and guidelines:

1. Start your day with a good, wholesome breakfast. Never skip this meal. For that matter, don’t skip lunch and dinner either. It is very important to have regular meals. And as important to not graze between meals.

2. Eat in moderation. Many people seem to eat to pass the time or fill some inner, non-stomacular vacuum. If you find yourself heading down that path, stop immediately and assess your situation. Develop another hobby. Like gardening. Weeding, I mean. Don’t gravitate unerringly towards the fruit trees and the vegetable patch.

3. Make sure there is enough variety in your diet. Eating just one or two of the same foods every day can turn tedious in the long run. But, more than that, a varied diet will provide you with a good balance of the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, etc. Too much of one thing or too little of another can lead to problems.

4. Your daily diet should include plenty of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, pulses, sprouts, nuts, and dairy products, especially fermented and cultured products like curd, yogurt, etc. And, if you are a non-vegetarian, also fish and poultry products. Too much of red meat is not recommended.

5. Generally, unprocessed or minimally processed and organic foods should be preferred over processed and inorganic foods. Processed foods are not only low in nutrients, they contain artificial preservatives and flavors that can prove harmful to your health. It is better to go for brown rice, brown bread, whole grain pasta, natural honey rather than white rice, white bread, pasta, and artificial sweeteners. Buy canned or frozen foods only if it is not possible to buy fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, etc.

6. Make sure you thoroughly wash and, if necessary, peel fruit and vegetables before you eat or cook them. This will get rid of soil particles, wax layers, and micro-organisms. This is pretty elementary, but many people often forget to stop by the tap on the way to the cooking ranger.

7. Don’t overcook the food as that will result in a loss of valuable nutrients. Steam vegetables or have them raw. Adding a little turmeric to the vegetables is very beneficial. Try different or new recipes that you have not tried before. The Internet is a great source to find a great variety of national and international recipes. Trying new methods of food preparation will increase your enjoyment of the meal.

8. It is not necessary to completely give up the high fat foods like butter, cream, cheese, ice creams, or ‘junk’ food like potato chips, hamburgers, fried chicken, etc. Just limit your intake. Eat less often or eat smaller portions. So long as you know to keep your food portions to a reasonable amount, you can continue eating everything that you want and still remain healthy.

9. Don’t gulp down your food. Eat slowly and chew well. This helps with digestion. Including starters like soups or broths will also assist the digestive process.

10. Cut down on sodas, soft drinks, tea, coffee, and artificially flavored drinks. Instead, go for milk, butter-milk, natural fruit juice, and plenty of water. You should drink at least 2 liters of water every day.

11. Alcohol is not good for you. If you can’t live without alcohol, try moderation and limit your intake to one glass maximum per day. Or prepare to live with a liver malfunction at some later date.

12. Time your last meal – dinner or supper – atleast 3 or 4 hours before your usual bedtime. Drink a glass of lemon juice and go for a short walk to aid digestion. And don’t get up in the middle of the night to raid the refrigerator. Give your digestive system a rest to prepare it for breakfast.

Healthy Eating for Toddlers

One of the biggest reasons why toddlers are picky about healthy foods is because, they are more attracted to colorful preparations which might not always be healthy. According to the “kid’s food pyramid”, which is intended for children within the age group of 2 to 6, toddlers are supposed to be eating the same healthy foods as adults, but in lesser quantities to avoid the calories.

Therefore, it is said that only 1,300 cals per day, is what an average toddler would require for a healthy diet. Depending on these strategies, feeding your toddlers with healthy food would mean, providing them with the appropriate amount of nutrition and avoiding overeating. In the coming up paragraphs, we have a few healthy foods for toddlers which will give you an idea, about what preparations you could make out of them.

Vegetables Make You Superman!
My mom always told me, eating vegetables will make strong, pretty, intelligent and smarter than my sister! Well, that was the bribe I got for eating vegetables, but most parents convince their toddlers that Superman always eats vegetables. To make their immune system stronger and for a better development of the nervous system, it is very important to feed about 1 cup of vegetables per day to toddler, in their first few years. Vegetables contain vitamins, fiber and minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, zinc) which are also required for building and strengthening bone structure. Thus, you can provide these iron rich foods for toddlers either cooked or uncooked, cut into small pieces or blended with milkshakes.

Fresh, Delicious and Fruity
In case of fruits, I am sure none of the toddlers are choosy! Fruits are juicy, full of taste and definitely a hit among toddlers. The average amount of fruits per day is 1 cup of pure fruit without additions like milk, water, etc. You can feed them fruit juices which are pure, to provide them with an adequate amount of fiber and vitamins. These can help in healthy digestion, and regulated bowl movements which are very important at this age of growth.

Grains and Useful Gains
Another most recommended among the healthy foods for toddlers are grains, which should be 3 serving per day. One slice of bread, 1 cup of rice or pasta, or 1 cup of cereal, oatmeal or a peanut butter sandwich and other whole grain foods can make a very healthy meal throughout the day for your baby. Grains are known as the high fiber foods for toddlers, and they contain proteins and amino acids which are required to build proteins in your body. Proteins help in building muscle and tissues, so that the bone structure is supported and your toddler looks healthy.

What’s Better Than Milk?
When a baby is born, breast milk and then formula milk is the source of nutrition for it. Toddlers are recommended to consume at least 2 cups of milk every day, to build their bones stronger and healthier. Milk and dairy products like yogurt, cheese, etc., are the best baby foods and consist of calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and other essential fatty acids for a healthy metabolism in the body. Therefore, milk has to be included for toddlers.

Lots of Vitamin B and Proteins
Vitamin B is something which is a very crucial ingredient in the making of a healthy body and better metabolism during growth. Meat is the best source of vitamin B complex and proteins, thus should be included in a toddler’s diet. Healthy eating for toddlers can also include other foods like fish, poultry, dry beans, seeds and nuts, legumes, and small quantities of red meat. You can prepare some yummy finger foods for toddlers. All these foods put together will make your toddler a healthy and strong individual in his/her initial age.