What Is Healthy Eating? What Is A Good Diet?

Good food and healthy diet ealthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life.ealthy Eating: Guide to New Food Pyramids and Tips for a Healthy Diet ... The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer Any diet should provide sufficient calories and not fall seriously short on important nutrients or entire food groups. The Best Diets for Healthy Eating

What Is Healthy Eating? What Is A Good 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) 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.

It is not possible to know whether food is made from whole grain just by looking at it. To be really sure you have to read the label. In the list of ingredients, the word whole or wholegrain needs to appear before the name of the grain.

Whole grain products include breads, pastas and cereals - they need to be made with 100% whole grain. Whole grain foods and flours include 100% whole wheat, brown rice, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oatmeal (oats), spelt and wild rice.

Fruit and vegetables

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.

Most health departments throughout the world recommend that we consume five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. This could include either fresh, frozen or canned, or dried fruit and veggies. A portion means either one large fruit, such as an apple, mango, or a banana, or three heaped tablespoons of vegetables. It could also include one glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice. A fruit/vegetable drink is one portion, no matter how big it is. Beans and pulses can also count as one portion.


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. The NHS (National Health Service) of the UK says that proteins should make up about 20% of our nutritional intake. The following foods are good sources of protein:
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Beans
Nuts
Quorn
Soya (includes tofu)
Nutritionists advise that the fat in meat should be trimmed and drained away after cooking. The skin should be removed from poultry. For people who are not vegetarians, nutritionist advise we consume fish at least twice a week, preferably fish rich in omega oils, such as trout, fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel and salmon. The canning process of tuna removes the essential oils, hence only fresh tuna is considered as an oily fish.

It is better for your health to grill, roast or microwave meats and fish, rather than frying them.

Vegans, who do not eat any foods from animal sources, may get their protein from nuts, seeds, soya, beans and quorn. Vegans may have to supplement their zinc and B12 vitamin intake as these foods are not rich in them.

Legumes

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

The following are the most commonly eaten legumes:
soy
peas
peanuts
mesquite
lupins
lentils
clover
carob
beans
alfafa
Researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada, reported in Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2012 issue, that eating plenty of legumes helps improve glycemic control in people with diabetes type 2, as well as reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Dairy

Although butter, cream and even sometimes eggs are often classed as dairy products, in nutrition 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.

People who do not consume animal sourced foods can get their calcium intake from other products, such as broccoli, cabbage and soya milk and yoghurts with added calcium.