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Health FoodHealth food are basically foods that help you to maintain health; physically and mentally both.
Good nutrition and safe food is very important for all people across the world and eating healthy foods and a balanced meal helps to protect and promote good health.
This can be achieved with the help of a food pyramid which guides you how much to eat from a particular food group, how to make wise choices from that group and how to prepare to prevent any nutrient loss.
A healthy food pyramid also helps to plan meals, teach the serving or portion size and gives smart tips to maintain our ideal body weight.
To ensure that you are including a health food in diet remember these points- Include complex carbohydrates in the form of whole cereals, whole wheat and wheat products, brown rice and other millets in diet to get energy.
These are also rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. - Whole pulses, sprouts and soy are very essential source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
Soy protein is of more significance as besides being a very good source of protein it also supplies n-3 fatty acids which are necessary for various functions in the body. - Skimmed milk and skim milk products, lean meat, fish, egg and de skinned chicken also provides good quality protein and are healthy if consumed in recommended amounts.
- Include at least 9-10 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables out of which eat one dark green and one orange vegetable daily.
- Take minimum amounts of ‘empty calories’ that comes from sugar and also concentrate not only on the quantity but also the quality of fat that is being consumed.
Health foods can also refer to the foods that are grown organically and are free from chemicals.
Certain vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, beta carotene, selenium, magnesium, calcium, chromium, boron and lithium are many times higher in organic foods compared to the normal counterparts. These foods are very expensive and not cost effective for a simple reason as their production is lower, more labor intensive and has lower yields compared to the commercial methods.
Certain foods are also labeled as ‘health food’ as they are specially fortified with various nutrients. These fortified foods are often rich in vitamins and minerals, but it is very important to read the product label and decide according to ones requirement before its consumption.
The need for any dietary supplements is nil if an individual is on a balanced diet and includes variety of healthy foods in meals.
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