Making a diet plan based on healthy food may seem difficult at first. However, with a little knowledge, you can easily make a diet plan that is balanced and healthy as well as tasty.
United States Department of Agriculture has identified five major food groups. Following are the details of these food groups and the guidelines to make your own balanced, healthy and tasty diet plan.
Fruits
Fruits provide an excellent balance of calories and nutrition. Most fruits have low calories and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Additionally, every fruit has a unique flavor that tickles your taste buds as well as has many health benefits. Most healthy individuals can eat as much fruit as they like unless your doctor has asked you to refrain from certain fruits.
Vegetables
Like fruits, vegetables provide many nutrients without overloading your diet with calories. Different vegetables have different vitamin and mineral content. So, it is necessary to have a variety of vegetables in your diet. Most individuals can eat as many vegetables as they like.
Grains
Grains are an important source of carbohydrates, proteins, and dietary fiber. In addition, grains contain many essential vitamins and minerals. The most important thing while adding grains to your diet is the quality of the grain. Grain provide better health benefits when they are least processed. Many grains we eat are highly processed and lose their nutrition value.
Protein Foods
Meat, eggs, grains, beans, seeds, and nuts contain high protein content. Protein is essential for many body functions including growth, maintenance, and repair of body tissues. Many people think of only animal sources when adding protein to their diet. However, non-animal sources offer even a better balance of protein and other nutrients.
Dairy
The dairy group consists of milk and milk products like yogurt and cheese. Dairy provides protein, calcium, and fats. The dairy group contains saturated fats and should be a small portion of a healthy diet.
Maria Thompson is a health blogger who enjoys writing on her website. Maria has always had an interest in medicine, and she hopes to become a doctor one day. She loves reading about medical discoveries, especially when they are for rare conditions that don’t have much research yet. She also likes exploring the science behind different diets and nutrition programs.
