Do you know what meals to serve on your plate? Or how much and how frequently you should eat?

A strong eating plan contains a range of healthful meals. Add a variety of colours to your plate and imagine you’re eating the rainbow. Dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes, as well as fresh herbs, are high in vitamins, fibre, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelettes adds colour and nutrition quickly and easily.

Consuming a wide range of foods from the five food groups: plenty of colourful vegetables, legumes/beans, fruit grain (cereal) foods – primarily wholegrain and high fibre variants lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds milk, yogurt, cheese or their low-fat equivalents. Drink a lot of water.

Saturated fat-rich foods include biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried dishes, potato chips, crisps, and other savoury snacks.

Replace high-fat foods rich in saturated fat with those high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Substitute unsaturated fats from oils, spreads, nut butters and pastes, and avocado for butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut, and palm oil.

Limit salty meals and drinks, and avoid adding salt to foods while cooking or at the table.

Sugary meals and drinks, such as confectionery, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks, should be avoided.

Consuming alcohol in moderation is perfectly fine. 

Now we’re going to talk about foods which you should include in your diet –

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products are prioritised.
• Seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds are examples of protein sources.
• Low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
• If you want to remain lean, aim to stay under your daily calorie requirements.

Now the question arrives: how should we divide our plate for creating a healthy meal?

Make vegetables and fruits the majority of your meal – ½ of your plate.

Aim is for colour and diversity, and keep in mind that potatoes do not qualify as vegetables on the Healthy Eating Plate due to their blood sugar impact.

Plant oils are good for you if you use them in moderation.

Choose healthy vegetable oils such as olive, canola, soy, maize, sunflower, peanut, and others over partly hydrogenated oils, which contain harmful trans fats. Keep in mind that “low-fat” does not imply “healthy.”

Choose whole grains as ¼ of your dish.

Whole and intact grains—whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats, brown rice, and meals produced with them, such as whole wheat pasta—have a gentler effect on blood sugar and insulin than refined grains like white bread and white rice.

Consume water, coffee, or tea.

Limit sugary beverages to one to two servings per day, milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, and juice to one small glass per day.

¼ of your plate should be devoted to protein.

Fish, chicken, beans, and nuts are all good sources of protein that may be incorporated into salads and paired with vegetables on a platter. Limit red meat and stay away from processed meats like bacon and sausage.

Continue to be active; staying active and eating healthy go hand-in-hand when it comes to weight control.

Hope this healthy meal plan helps you SUSTAIN a healthy lifestyle.

Hope you enjoy this read until next time.

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