7 Nutrition Tips For A Healthy, Balanced Diet
Getting the right nutrients into your body is essential to ensure you are maintaining your overall health. Unfortunately, finding the right balance can be tricky, which is why we have put together a few tips and tricks to help you get the right balance in your diet, and maintain your health and wellbeing.
1. Don’t Skip Meals
Skipping meals or fasting can seem like an easy way for people to reduce their calorie intake, but this can be detrimental to your health in the long run. Eating regular meals helps to maintain your energy levels throughout the day and gives your body the nutrients it needs.
2. Eat Regularly and Eat Small Portion
Eating what you need in smaller, regular but balanced portions is the best way to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Eating generously at mealtimes can lead to eating more than you need, so try to portion your meals out properly.
3. Eat Variety of Foods
Eating a variety of foods is essential, to ensure that you get the full range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates your body needs. A particularly balanced diet should include:
- Fruit and vegetables – think dark green, red, orange and purple!
- Whole grains – look out for brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat
- Plant-based proteins – such as beans, lentils, peas and nuts
- Healthy fats – try walnuts, avocados and olive oil
4. Limit Your Intake of Sweets and Processed Foods
It’s tempting to indulge in sweet desserts or processed snacks, but it’s important to limit these to maintain your health. High calorie treats can blow away any balance that you are trying to achieve, so try to limit these and fill up with healthier options instead.
5. Monitor Your Sodium Intake
High levels of sodium can raise blood pressure and cause other health problems if consumed in excess. Try to limit your intake of salty foods such as processed snacks, canned soups and fried foods, and opt for freshly made meals with herbs and spices as a flavour alternative.
6. Choose Foods Rich in Iron and Vitamin D
Iron and vitamin D are both essential for overall health and wellbeing. Make sure to get your dose of these nutrients by eating foods like spinach, red meat and fish. For vitamin D, include foods like eggs, mushrooms and fortified cereals.
7. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is essential to help with digestion, absorption, and remove toxins from the body. A good rule of thumb is to drink around 8 glasses a day to stay hydrated and healthy.
Following these tips will help you maintain a balanced diet and ensure your body is getting all of the essential nutrients it needs. Remember, it’s all about balance, so enjoy treating yourself to the odd sweet or salty snack, just not every day!
Happy eating!
What is the most important nutrition tip to follow for a healthy, balanced diet?
The most important nutrition tip is to focus on eating a variety of whole, unprocessed foods. Aim for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, and be sure to include adequate amounts of water throughout the day. It’s also helpful to limit added sugars, artificial ingredients, and unhealthy fats. Lastly, portion control is key – eat only until you are comfortably full rather than stuffed.
What are the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables?
The recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables vary depending on one’s age, sex, and level of physical activity. In general, the US Dietary Guidelines suggest consuming 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day for a 2,000 calorie diet. The recommendation for children is about 1–2 cups of fruit and 1–3 cups of vegetables per day, depending on their age and activity level.
What percentage of daily calories should come from fruits and vegetables?
The general guideline is that 20-35% of daily calories should come from fruits and vegetables. This is about 2-4 servings (4-8 ounces) per day for a 2000 calorie diet.
What proportion of carbohydrates should come from fruits and vegetables?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of your total daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates. At least half of those carbohydrates should come from fruits and vegetables. This should be about 2-4 servings (4-8 ounces) of fruits and vegetables per day for a 2000 calorie diet.
What is the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables?
Simple carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables are sugars (eg. fructose, glucose, and galactose). These are quickly broken down into simple sugars and absorbed into the bloodstream to provide a quick source of energy.
Complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables are the starch components (eg. amylose and amylopectin). They are composed of long chains of sugar molecules, which must be broken down by the digestive system in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This means they are a source of slower-burning energy.
