The food choices people make directly affect their health and how they feel during the day. Good nutritional food is significant in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The two essential things that a person must follow are eating healthy food and exercising regularly to ensure that he is fit, capable, and not fall sick easily. One phrase that a person may hear since childhood is ‘balanced diet’ which is includes all the nutritional food needed by the human body.
A balanced diet includes natural food groups such as fruits, vegetables, lean meat, dairy products, whole grain food, nuts, seeds, and oils. Doctors always advise people to follow a strict pattern as your health should be a priority, and a person mindful of his food intake would be at a lesser risk to get affected by different chronic diseases.
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A balanced diet provides significant benefits in physical, mental, and emotional health. The Canadian government take particular interest in the health of its people and has spent sufficient time in producing an authentic diet plan which covers all the requirements of a healthy food plan. People of all ages should care about their diet and always take natural sources of food because it gives maximum nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants needed to maintain health.
The Canadian diet plan is based on four key points and displays it as a plate full of food of which
- Half the plate should be full of fruits and vegetables
- A quarter of the plate should contain protein food which is lean meat and seafood
- A quarter of the plate should be reserved with whole grain and dietary food; and
- Water should be the choice of drink, and carbonated drinks should be avoided
The Canada food guide also emphasizes that only healthy eating is not enough, and it is just a part of the food plan that people should follow. The Canada food guide also asks people to
- Know about their eating habits and the lifestyle they adopt
- Cook food more often in their own house and limit their eating outs in restaurants
- Enjoy the food they prepare and eat
- The food or meals should be eaten with family members at home and with work colleagues and friends in offices or when out for leisure
- Use food labels when shopping for grocery and know all the information about the products they buy
- Limit the foods which are rich in sodium, sugar and fat concentration
- Be mindful about food marketing
People should choose foods with healthy fats and avoid saturated fat and limit processed food. The families should make a list of meals which they want to eat at home and choose healthier options when eating out. Healthy eating is fairly simple, and the first step is planning which helps to make healthier choices, save the time needed in grocery shopping, reduce the time required to prepare meals, and reduce the food waste as people would only buy the things they need and will consume.
A housewife or a person can plan for the complete week or couple of days or what best suit them. The person should take some time on the weekend and make a diet plan for the week. The plan should contain the meals and the recipes which a person may wish to prepare to either take to the office or serve the family at home. The grocery list and meal list should be stuck on the refrigerator or any prominent place in the kitchen where the members of the home can see it and add their choice of food.
How could you make a meal plan and follow it?
One of the secrets of staying fit is making the most balanced diet plan and sticking with it. When you are making a meal plan the things you should consider are
- You should include all the meals and snacks you like to eat in the diet plan
- A busy work schedule or social life can impact your plan so you should alter the number of meals and snacks.
- Find ways to make cooking food more manageable and easier and which you can do in less time.
- You should cut the vegetables and freeze them to save time and arrange the ingredients in a good way that helps you while preparing meals.
- Know how many people, apart from you in the family, eat daily meals and their appetite.
- Use the frozen vegetables and meat first to prevent any food wastage
You should include a considerable amount of vegetables and fruits in your diet plan and encourage the young kids in the house to eat them as kid nowadays are more inclined in fast-food rather than natural food sources. The common fruits and vegetables include mangoes, apples, bananas, pears, berries, peaches, pineapples, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and lettuce.
Lean meat and seafood should also be eaten regularly because these sources contain protein and dietary fiber, which is the essential energy source needed by the human body. Lean meat includes chicken, turkeys, mutton, and beef. Apart from lean meat, the wholegrain products are best and have more fiber and nutrition as compared to refined grain. Eating foods enriched with fiber lowers the risk of stroke, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes
The benefits of the Canadian diet plan are
- The right quantity and nutritional amount along with regular physical workout help to avoid weight gain and maintain the correct health of a person. A good breakfast is essential to help a person stay active and focused throughout the day. The fruits and vegetables should be eaten in small quantities along with low-calorie food and food juices.
- The human body requires food enriched with nutrients to provide energy in a complete part of the body and help the person strong preventing the different chronic diseases. The healthy intake of food helps reduce the risk of heart diseases, strokes, type-2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, obesity, and high blood pressure. The fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and whole-grain products are full of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants needed by the body.
- It improves the mood and boosts energy levels. Eating nutritious food and exercising help release endorphins, which are brain chemicals that leave a person in a good and happy mood. The fruits, vegetables provide instant energy, and lean meat and whole-grain products provide more muscle strength and endurance.
