People tend to think of healthy eating as a strict diet of unsubstantial meals. They imagine eating meals consisting of boring salads and food with no taste. The reality of the matter is that healthy eating should be looked at as a way of consuming a well-balanced diet with a variety of colorful and delicious foods that will be beneficial to the body. The human body requires an assortment of nutrients that include, but are not limited to fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Eating the right types of food is not the only step to healthy eating. Portion control is an important step of the healthy eating process that people tend to often overlook. Although healthy eating is a significant way to promote a healthy lifestyle, combining it with exercise will provide the body with energy, assist in weight loss, and lower the risk of disease. After all, we are what we eat.
Not many people understand what it means to have a well-balanced diet. A popular belief is to eat vegetables and fruits and stay away from sugars and fatty foods. Although these are good examples of healthy eating, there is more to having a well-balanced diet. A well-balanced diet means to provide the body with the right kind of foods and liquids that will maintain the body in a healthy state for supporting normal growth and development. According to “Nutrition for Life” (2012), “As we age, our nutrient needs change with our bodies.” People require different nutrients throughout the different stages of their lives. For example, infants and toddlers need nutrients for normal growth and development. Teaching them at an early age impacts their health and weight later in life.
It’s never too early to implement healthy eating habits. Well-balanced meals fuel children and give them energy for school and playtime. For women, nutrition plays an important role in fertility and pregnancy. The “Pregnancy: Staying Healthy and Safe” (2010) website states that an expecting mother
References: Dickinson, A., Bonci, L., Boyon, N., & Franco, J. (2012). Dietitians use and recommend dietary supplements: report of a survey. Nutrition Journal 11. 14. Nutrition for Life. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=5518 Portion control for the treatment of obesity in the primary care setting. (2011, January). BMC Research Notes, 4(1), 346-350. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-4-346 Pregnancy: Staying Healthy and Safe Wang, Y. Y., & Beydoun, M. A. (2009). Meat consumption is associated with obesity and central obesity among US adults