Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is a diet that maintains our overall health. It should contain adequate amounts of all the nutrients required by the body to grow, stay healthy, and remain disease-free. A healthy diet should contain the following essential nutrients: fluids, macronutrients like protein, micronutrients like vitamins, and adequate fiber and food energy.
A healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains which contain a balanced amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, macro and micronutrients. A healthy diet should include little or no ultra-processed foods or sweetened beverages. What should we take in food as a healthy diet? It is given below. A healthy diet can be completed with a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods. Medical and government institutions publish various nutrition guides to tell individuals what they should eat to stay healthy.
Benefits of a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is very important for us to maintain good health and nutrition. Following it daily can save us from many diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. A healthy diet requires eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugar, and saturated and industrially produced trans-fats.
The Five Staple Foods of a Healthy Diet
1. Eating Lots of Vegetables and Fruits
It is one of the most important diets. It contains a high amount of vitamins and nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber) and it helps to maintain your health for a long time. We should eat green vegetables in our food. And in the morning we should eat fruit.
2. Whole Grain Foods
Whole grain foods include whole grain bread and crackers, brown or wild rice, quinoa, oats, and milled barley lentils. All are prepared using whole grains. Whole grain foods are rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins that help keep you healthy and full for a long time. And it makes our muscles strong from the inside. We should opt for whole-grain foods like bread and pasta instead of whole-grain foods. We should fill a part of our plate with whole-grain foods.
3. Milk and Yogurt
Milk contains three types of proteins, cassinoprotein, globulin, and albumin, which keeps us full for a long time. Yogurt is good for the stomach. Consuming it regularly improves digestion. It contains all the essential nutrients the body needs.
4. Water
Water is most important for our health. Drinking water on an empty stomach clears our stomach. The body of a newborn baby consists of about 78% water. As we grow up, this percentage gradually decreases. Adult men are made up of 60% water, while women are made up of about 55% water. Your organs, face and even your bones all consist of water. We should drink 2-3 liters of water daily.
5. Meat and Fish
Fish and meat are one of the best sources of protein. It contains a high amount of protein. It contains many vitamins and minerals. Eating fish is also good for preventing heart disease. Eating fish is beneficial for our eyes. Fish should be consumed 2 days a week.
Healthy balanced diet chart
A balanced diet contains all the nutrients required by our body to grow, stay healthy, and remain disease-free. In addition, a healthy, balanced diet meets the necessary energy requirements.
7 essential components of a healthy diet
Carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, fats, minerals, and fiber are the essential components of a balanced diet.
1. Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates provide us with energy. Carbohydrates are an important component of the diet, but you should not eat all carbohydrates equally.
Some sources of carbohydrates-
- Whole grains like oats, quinoa
- Coarse grains like ragi, millet, barley
- Green vegetables
2. Vitamins – There are 13 essential vitamins. We must take vitamins A, C, B, and D.
Sources of vitamins are-
- Fruits
- Eggs
- Fish
- Vegetables
3. Protein – Protein is essential for strengthening and building our muscles and for skin and hair.
Some sources of protein are-
- Soybean
- Fish, crab, shrimp, prawns
- Eggs
- Pork
- Milk curd
4. Fats – People say that fats are bad for our health but it is wrong. It is best to choose healthy fats as fats help in maintaining our body temperature.
Sources of healthy fats are –
- avocados
- seeds
- olive oil
5. Fiber – Fiber is good for our digestive system and keeps our cholesterol levels low. And also helps in controlling sugar levels.
The sources of fiber are-
- Brown rice
- Cereals
- Oats
6. Minerals – Minerals help in releasing energy from the food we eat and in the growth of organs. Iron, calcium, iodine, sodium, and magnesium are the essential minerals.
Sources of minerals are –
- Milk
- Fruits
- Meat
- Fish
7. Water: Water is one of the main sources of a healthy diet. There are many benefits of drinking water. It is important for bodily functions. Our body is made up of 60 to 70 percent water. It keeps our body temperature controlled.
7 Days Healthy Diet Chart Plan
| Days | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Day – 1 | Oatmeal + A Glass of Milk + An Apple | Chapati + Lentils + Green Vegetable + Salad, Curd | Brown rice + Lentils + Green Salad |
| Day – 2 | Fruit salad + peanut butter + Bread | Brown Rice + Palak Paneer + Chicken + Salad | Bread + Lentils + Salad |
| Day – 3 | Oatmeal + Green Tea + Banana | Bread + Chickpea Curry + Buttermilk + Salad | Brown Rice + Boil Lentils + Salad |
| Day – 4 | Fresh fruits + Eggs + Milk | Bread + Lentils + salad + curd | Brown rice + Green vegetable + salad |
| Day -5 | Oatmeal + Milk + Dried Fruit | Salted rice + yogurt + Salad | Chapati + Chickpea Lentils + Salad |
| Day – 6 | Sprouted Chickpeas + Juice + Brown Bread | Brown rice + Chicken + Paneer + Salad | Bread, Green Vegetables, Salad |
| Day – 7 | Daliya + Green Salad + Milk + Dried Fruit | Bread + Lentils + Buttermilk + Salad | Khichdi, Curd/Buttermilk, Salad |
Top 10 Healthy Foods
- Fruits
- Green vegetables
- Fish
- Milk
- Curd
- Sprouted gram
- Water
- Banana bake
- Dried fruit
- Oats
