What is Healthy Eating?

What is Healthy Eating? What is a Healthy Diet?

Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life.

Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period.

A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health

How do you define healthy eating?

The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet - or a good diet - means consuming from all the different good groups in the right quantities. Nutritionists say there are five main food groups - whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein, diary, and fat & sugar.

Whole grains

According to the USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture)², we should consume at least 3 ounces of whole grains per day. A whole grain, unlike refined grains, still has the bran and the germ attached. Whole grains are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins. When grains are refined the bran and germ are removed.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are rich in vital vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Fruit and vegetables have a high vitamin, mineral and fiber content - these nutrients are vital for your body to function well.

Several studies have proven that a good intake of fruit and vegetables may protect from developing heart disease, diabetes type 2, and cancer.

Protein

We need protein for the building and repairing of tissue in our body. Protein-rich foods also include essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, zinc, as well as B vitamins.

Douglas Paddon-Jones, PhD, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Medical Branch says that proteins should make up about 20 to 25 percent of our nutritional intake.⁴

The following foods are good sources of protein:

Tofu, an example of a plant sourced protein.

• meat
• poultry
• fish
• eggs
• beans
• nuts
• quorn
• soya (includes tofu)

Legumes

Legumes are plants in the pea family that produce pods that slit open naturally along a seam (dehisce), revealing a row of seeds.

Legumes help improve glycemic control.

The following are the most commonly eaten legumes:

• soy
• peas
• peanuts
• mesquite
• lupins
• lentils
• clover
• carob
• beans
• alfafa

Dairy

Although butter, cream and even sometimes eggs are often classed as dairy products, innutrition they are more frequently placed in the protein (eggs) or fat & sugar category. Dairy products are a good source of calcium which is important for healthy bones and teeth.

Dairy products include milk, yoghurts, cheese, and some soya dairy products. Nutritionists say we should aim for low fat dairy products.

Fats and sugars

These include sugar, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, jam, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, non-diet sodas, etc. - all products with a very high fat or sugar content.

There are two basic types of fats - saturated and unsaturated. Cream, margarine and fried foods are high in saturated fats, while vegetable oils and oily fish are rich in unsaturated fats. Saturated fat consumption should be kept to a minimum because excess consumption significantly increases the risk of developing such diseases as heart disease