Food and Nutrition – Eating Right For Healthy Living

The word food brings to mind a huge array of sweet dishes and savory ones. But food also refers to the way of living a person, and the diets they follow. Food can be in the form of cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat and other foods. Each of these forms of food contains different nutrients that are essential for human body growth. Here is a list of 10 nutritious foods that are essential to everyone’s diet.

Meat: This food is considered to be one of the most important sources of protein in nutrition. Meat comes in three varieties: primal, skinless and red meat. Primitive means the animal it came from; skinless means the animal was without fur; and red meat means the animal came with a tail. All these varieties have different nutrients and contribution to good health. Red meat and its blood supply are the richest sources of essential amino acids and also contain minerals like iron, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus and protein. However, red meat is high in fat and cholesterol, and thus should be avoided.

Fibre: Fibre is a form of food that is not digestible. It is made up of complex carbohydrate, which are also not digested fully. Therefore, apart from the regular food types, taking fibre helps prevent constipation. Some examples of complex carbohydrates are oats, pulses, whole grains and fruits. On the other hand, simple carbohydrates are legumes and cereals. Oats, pulses, grains and fruits all have good amount of fibre and can be included in your diet.

Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fibre and help prevent constipation. They are also low in fat and cholesterol and therefore, should be included in your diet. Some examples of legumes include beans, peas, onions, carrots, cabbage and broccoli, while vegetables like spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, cauliflower, potatoes and peppers are excellent sources of vegetables.

Meat: Though meat is considered to be an essential food, it is not recommended for people who are on very low-diet, as it is quite fatty and does not contain necessary nutrients. The meat need to be cooked thoroughly to retain essential nutrients. In order to maintain good nutrition, eat raw or grilled meat, if you are on a low-diet.

You can include all the food groups in your diet in a balanced manner, so that you get all the nutrients required by your body system. Hence, for a healthy living, do not ignore any of the food types, and eat them in a balanced manner, taking into consideration their sources, effects, frequency and amount. For more details on food sources, nutrition tips and suggestions, you can consult a health professional or refer to the Internet for more information on food and nutrition.