Healthy Food Tips For a Healthy Life
A healthy diet includes a wide variety of foods, in the right amounts, from each of
the five major food groups (fruits and vegetables, grains wxow.marketminute, meats and beans, dairy
products and starchy vegetables). It is important to eat a balanced diet that contains
plenty of fruit and vegetables, fibre-rich whole grain foods, lean proteins, low-fat
dairy and healthy fats.
A well-balanced and varied diet can reduce your risk of certain diseases and improve
your overall health. It can also help you manage your weight and keep you feeling
satisfied.
Read labels and choose nutritious foods with fewer calories, added sugars and fats,
and more fibre and protein. Limit your consumption of refined or processed
carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta and rice, as well as highly-processed
snack foods.
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. These foods
contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, fibre, phytochemicals and water. They
help keep you full and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and
certain cancers.
Avoid high-calorie, high-fat foods and beverages such as sweets, chips and ice
cream. Eating too many calories from these foods can lead to obesity and other
serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Instead, try healthier alternatives such as fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, whole
grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These foods are also lower in saturated fat, which
is found mainly in dairy products and fatty meats.
Stock your kitchen with nutritious ingredients that are easy to prepare and can be
used in a variety of dishes. Buy a wide selection of frozen and canned vegetables,
dark leafy greens, low-fat cheese, fish, poultry and eggs.
Invest in good quality cooking equipment. Use these to make meals at home that
are healthier and easier to prepare than fast food or ready-made meals from the
supermarket.
Add flavour and texture to your meals with ingredients that contain fibre, such as
wholemeal flour, yoghurt, muesli and fruit. Adding these ingredients to your meals
will increase the amount of fiber you eat and help keep you feeling full longer.
Choose healthy fats that come from plant sources, such as unsaturated oils (olive
oil, canola oil and soybean oil), nuts and seeds and avocados. These are good
sources of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can
decrease your risk of heart disease.
Be sure to check the label for fat content, especially the amount of saturated and
trans-fats. Consuming too much saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease
and stroke.
Saturated and trans-fats are found in meat, milk, butter, cheese and other dairy
products, as well as in some plant products like palm and coconut oil.
Saturated and trans-fats are unhealthy because they raise your bad LDL cholesterol
level and lower your good HDL cholesterol. To maintain good cholesterol levels, you
should limit your intake of these types of fat to 30% or less of your total energy
intake.