This century has brought with it dramatic changes in the lifestyles and eating habits of people. Fast and junk food has become an integral part of the regular food consumption for young and old alike. Ordering out is an attractive option that saves people the time and trouble of cooking food at home. Though restaurant food is tasty and very easy to access, it isn’t always the best option. Regularly eating these foods takes a heavy toll on the stomach in particular and health in general.
These things catalyzed us to offer health-oriented, balanced foods that provide an excellent alternative to home-cooked meals. When you opt for these, you don’t have to struggle to provide your well-balanced family meals. Let us look at what a balanced meal contains.
1. Fresh Vegetables and Fruits are Essential
Most nutritionists recommend that people increase the intake of vegetables and fruits in their daily diet. The variety of vegetables and salads is so vast that you can quickly cut salads and toss vegetables into a delicious and colorful meal. Always add fruits to your daily diet.
Fruits can be used in various ways and are useful at different times of the day. You can add cut fruit to your meals or add some fruit to your breakfast as well. Its a great start to your day. You can grab an apple or some other fruit to satiate those mid-morning hunger pangs.
Turn fresh fruits into juices and smoothies that are packed with nutrition; these should form a part of your daily food intake. Nutritionists recommend that you should east at least three portions of vegetables and fruits daily. One portion equals one vegetable smoothie and two glasses of juice.
2. Include Carbohydrates in Your Diet
You need energy to remain active throughout the day, and starchy carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, etc. are the source of this energy. Its why carbs must form one-third of your meal. A lot of misinformation floats around that carbohydrates add to your body fat. In fact, your diet is imbalanced without carbs.
If you stay away from carbs, you have to add more fats to your food to compensate for it and get the energy you need. Adding fats results in higher calorie consumption because carbs have only 50% of the calories that fats contain.
3. Stay Away From Sugary Foods
Many people crave sugary foods like cakes, cookies, desserts, fizzy drinks, etc; but all of these are unhealthy. Cutting down on sugar intake is one important way to remain healthy. Home-cooked meals score over other foods because they have lower sugar content and more of fresh, health-promoting ingredients.
3. Saturated Fats In the Right Measure
Today most people are aware of saturated and unsaturated fats. A higher saturated fat content in foods is harmful to health. That is why nutritionists ask their clients to limit the consumption of saturated fats to 20 gms for women and 30 gms for men.
Sausages, butter, cheeses, cakes, biscuits have a high saturated fat content that increases your cholesterol level and puts you at risk of heart disease. Look to replace these with vegetable oils, lean meats, and lower fat content foods to keep healthy.
5. Reduce Your Salt Intake
Salt is an addiction. The recommended limit for salt consumption is 6 grams per day. But most people never measure the salt they consume and end up consuming far more than the recommended limit. The excessive salt content in foods can increase your blood pressure and lead to possible heart problems. Most processed foods like sausages, soups, and chips contain more salt than home-cooked meals. Opting for the latter is choosing to be healthy.
Include the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and unsaturated fats and consume less sugary foods. It is the best way to maintain a healthy diet. If you want well-balanced home-cooked meals, we are the company that provides you with the best solutions.