CBCI

As the year continues, it is important to keep those new year resolutions and goals going. Whether it’s working out, reading more, or meditating, finding the best system for you is important. Another new year’s goal CBCI chefs often hear about is committing to a diet or “eating healthier.” This can be difficult to commit to for an entire year, however, keeping a balanced diet may be easier for people to follow.

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet gives your body a variety of nutrients it needs to function correctly. In order to get the nutrients your body needs, most of your daily calories should come from:

Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables
Whole grains
Lean proteins
Legumes
Nuts

Calories explained:

To keep it simple, calories in food refers to the amount of energy stored in that food. Your body needs those calories for walking, thinking, breathing, and many other important functions.

The average person needs 2,000 calories everyday to maintain their weight, however, that number also depends on their age, sex, and physical activity level.

The source of daily calories are also important. Some foods provide calories, but very little nutrition which are known as empty calories.

Examples:

Cakes, cookies, & donuts
Energy drinks & sodas
Chips & fries
Pizza

Why is a balanced diet important?

A balanced diet gives the nutrients to your body so that it works effectively, Without this, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance.

An unbalanced diet combined with an absence of exercise can lead to obesity and eventually lead to type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

What to eat for a balanced diet?

A healthy diet should include the following:

Vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants
Carbohydrates (starches & fiber)
Protein
Healthy fats

Focus on the following food groups:

Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Dairy
Protein

Foods to avoid/limit:

Highly processed foods
Refined grains
Added sugar & salt
Alcohol
Trans fats

Food groups explained:

Fruits: great as a snack or dessert, and they can satisfy a sweet tooth. Although they are higher in sugar it is a natural sugar. If you are looking for low sugar fruits try incorporating raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, & kiwis in your diet.

Vegetables: key source of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Make sure to eat a variety of veggies; the most range of colors the more nutrients you are getting. Dark, leafy greens are great such as spinach, kale, broccoli, & collard greens.

Grains: whole products provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This is also a great way to add texture to a dish. Bread, pasta, and rice all come in whole grain options.

Proteins: meats and beans are primary sources of protein. This is essential for wound healing and muscle maintenance and development. Healthy animal protein include red meats, poultry, and fish. Plant base protein is also a great way to fill this category. Options include lentils, beans, peas, almonds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

Dairy: this can provide essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Dairy-free milks are great alternatives as well. They can be made from flax seed, almonds & cashews, soy, oats, & coconuts.

Fats & Oils: this is essential for energy and cell health, however, too much fat can increase the intake of calories which may lead to weight gain. It is important to avoid saturated fats and trans fat because they may lead to high cholesterol levels. Fats to keep in your diet are vegetable oils & fish oils, fats to limit are butter, cheese, and heavy cream, and fats to lose are trans fats which come in many processed. Olive oil is considered to be a healthy fat especially extra virgin olive oil.

Summary:

A healthy balanced diet should combine all the nutrients and food groups mentioned above. A great way to remember how much of each group to eat is the plate method from The USDA’s “ChooseMyPlate” initiative which recommends: