If we want our body to function optimally, it is important to eat a balanced diet that provides all the necessary nutrients for the day.
A balanced diet provides the right proportion of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) and fiber based on our individual characteristics.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eating a healthy and balanced diet during our lifetime helps prevent malnutrition and different diseases and conditions.
In order to eat a healthy and balanced diet, we recommend you follow these key points:
1. Eat a variety of foods
We obtain a variety of nutrients when we eat different types of food. We add all the groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, oils, dairy products, meats, etc.) because no food by itself contains all the necessary nutrients.
2. Say yes to fruits and vegetables
The diet should include plant-based foods and a moderate consumption of foods of animal origin. One example is the Mediterranean diet, which promotes the consumption of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and fiber. It also includes fish, extra virgin olive oil and a moderate consumption of red meat and animal fats.
3. Say goodbye to processed baked goods
Processed baked goods, sweets, snacks, lunch meat, ice cream or fast food can be consumed, but very sparingly.
4. Everything in moderation
A diet must provide the amount of energy required for your body to function properly. In addition, moderation is a convenient way to avoid obesity.
5. Five meals a day…and if they are appetizing, even better!
Another key to a healthy diet is to properly distribute your food by breaking it up into five meals a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner). A healthy and balanced diet doesn’t need to involve a lot of effort for the person who is following it. It should be designed in such a way that it is tasty and appetizing. Otherwise, following it will be very complicated and we will end up falling off the wagon.
6. Don’t forget water
For this healthy diet, water will become our ally. It is recommended to drink between 1 or 2 liters a day, equal to about 4 to 8 glasses.