Cooking a healthy meal day after day, night after night is no easy feat. However, if you want to start eating healthy, you need to pay close attention to the food you buy and serve at the table. Keep in mind that eating healthy foods (and vitamins) means knowing the right foods and making a conscious effort to eat more of them.
* Potatoes are good, as long as they are eaten in moderate amounts.
* Ideally, no more than five ounces of meat, beans, and other protein sources (for example, peas, nuts, and fish) should be consumed per day to ensure your diet has adequate protein. Bake, grill, or broil meat instead of frying it.
* The ideal is to consume six ounces of grain a day. You can do this by eating 3 ounces of whole-grain bread, whole-grain cereal, rice, pasta, or crackers every day. A slice of bread and a cup of cereal each contain about an ounce of grain.
* A nutritious meal consists of healthy foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, so it is important to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your meals. Eat more dark vegetables (eg, broccoli and spinach). Sweet potatoes and carrots are also rich sources of vitamins and nutrients, as are dried beans (eg, peas, kidney beans, and pinto beans). Instead of eating ice cream for dessert, try to eat fruit, at least two cups a day. Eat a variety of fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits.
* Fats are actually essential to our health. Fats negatively affect the body and our health if consumed in excessive amounts. Adverse effects include high cholesterol levels, weight gain, cancer, and heart disease. When cooking, avoid using solid fats (eg, butter, margarine, shortening, and lard). Use olive oil or canola oil instead. Learn to read food labels and check how much saturated and trans fat, as well as sodium, are in canned goods.
* Pay attention to portion sizes. Many people eat more than they really need. Avoid making the same mistake; eat according to your daily activities. For example, reduce your portion size on days when you are not doing any type of physical activity. You can increase your food portions when your schedule includes physical activity, as you will need the energy. Also keep in mind the particular needs of your family members when cooking a meal.
If you decide to follow the tips above, you will find that cooking healthy meals is, in fact, extremely easy. Here is an example of a healthy, well-balanced meal (one serving):
* grilled or roasted chicken breast (5 oz per person)
* 1/2 baked potato
* Mixed green salad
* fruit and frozen yogurt for dessert
With a little willpower, consuming the healthy foods, vitamins, and minerals your body requires won’t be too difficult.