Tips For Eating A Healthy Diet

When it comes to eating a healthy diet then of course the basis is plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. However there is more to a well balanced diet than just this and you have to include a variety of other foods, minerals, vitamins and drink plenty of fresh water.

The ideal healthy diet would consist of including foods that consist of starchy foods. Foods which are rich in starch include pasta, rice and wholegrain bread. Protein should also be an essential part of any healthy diet and foods which contain high sources of protein include fish, eggs and meat. Just as important as eating the right types of food is to eat a variety of them. Eating a variety of foods is the only way to be sure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. While these foods should be included there are also foods which you should cut out or at least cut down on including saturated fat, salt and sugar.

When it comes to fruit and veg in a healthy diet then it is recommended to eat five portions per day. While fresh fruit is better you can include frozen fruit, juice, tinned and even dried fruits. Of course eating different fruit is essential and the amount of fruit and veg in your diet should account for around a third of the food you eat during a day. Getting your recommend portions of fruit and veg per day is not hard. For example you could mix dried fruit in with your favourite cereal for breakfast or drink a glass of pure juice with your wholemeal toast. When you fancy a snack then nibble on carrot sticks and serve a mixed salad with pasta for dinner.

Pasta, potatoes and rice are all good wholesome starchy foods and are an essential part of any healthy diet. Again about a third of your diet should consist of a mixture of foods which are rich in starch, when choosing rice and bread then wholegrain is the healthiest option. Foods rich in starch are essential when it comes to giving the body energy due to them being a main source of the nutrients which we need to remain healthy and fit. Many individuals are under the impression that foods consisting of starch are bad for you; this could be due to diets such as "low carb". However this is untrue and not getting enough starch in your daily diet can be harmful.

Fibre is also essential in any healthy diet and foods which contain fibre include oats, peas, beans and grain. A good mix of these is your daily diet is essential. Insoluble fibre is needed to keep the digestive system in working order and soluble fibre can help to lower the levels of cholesterol.

One thing which is very often overlooked when it comes to a healthy diet is water. Water is essential to keeping the body hydrated and goes a long way to keeping the skin healthy and supple. You should aim to include about 1.2 litres of water in your diet everyday and if you are very active or during the summer months you should drink more.