How to organize food

Contents

 1 How to organize food

 1.1 Components of a balanced diet

 1.2 Number of recommended servings

 1.3 Number of meals

 1.4 times to eat meals

 2 general tips for maintaining a healthy diet

 3 What is a balanced diet?

 How to organize food

 Components of a balanced diet The basic principles of balanced diets are similar, but balanced and varied diets differ based on the difference in people's needs, which depend on gender, age, lifestyle, and physical activity, as well as the culture of the area in which the person lives, the foods available in it, and its habits. Diet may also affect the diet of individuals, and according to the recommendations of the US Department of Agriculture, a balanced plate of food should contain half of it on vegetables and fruits, and the other half on grains and proteins.

 In general, healthy food depends mainly on the diversity in eating foods that are divided into five food groups, which are vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, milk, cheese, dairy and their alternatives, in addition to the group of lean meat, chicken, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, and in the following we mention Benefits of each group:

 Vegetables:

 It is recommended that vegetables be an integral part of most meals during the day, due to their low calorie content, and their richness in beneficial nutrients and fiber.

 fruits:

 Which is an essential source of natural sugar, as it contains many micronutrients and antioxidants that support health.

 Meat and fish:

Which is the main source of protein in the human diet.

 Nuts and seeds:

 It is one of the best sources of fats available in abundance, which contains micronutrients.

 eggs:

Eggs are one of the best and most beneficial foods, as one egg contains a mixture of proteins, healthy fats, and micronutrients.

Dairy products:

 Dairy products and milk are rich sources of protein and calcium and are low in cost at the same time.

Healthy starches:

 Foods that contain whole grains, such as potatoes and quinoa, are considered healthy foods for people who do not follow a diet low in carbohydrates.

 Legumes:

 Which is a rich source of fiber, protein, and micronutrients.

 Drinks:

 It is recommended to drink water to get most of the fluids the body needs daily, and moderate amounts of other drinks such as coffee and tea can also be consumed.

 Herbs and spices:

 They are often rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.

Recommended number of servings

 The following table shows the recommended food portions for a 2,000-calorie diet:

 Food group Number of servings Vegetables 2 and a half cups of fruits 2 cups Cereals 170 g Protein 156 g Dairy 3 cups

number of meals

 The amount of food that a person needs, as mentioned previously, depends on a number of factors such as height, age, gender, health status, nature of work, physical activity, body size and composition, environmental factors, and medications taken by the person. It is worth noting that the number of meals is not important; Rather, the nutritional elements that the meals contain is the most important, especially if a person wants to reduce the risk of heart disease, and other health problems associated with weight gain, and therefore eating a larger number of meals only without paying attention to the quantity or quality of food will not increase the burning of calories, It will not help in losing weight, although it is important to stay away from starving the body and focus on distributing calories throughout the day, and not to skip any of the main meals, and other things that help to lose weight, and stay healthy.

Meal times

 It is recommended to set fixed times for eating meals during the day, which makes the body expect the time to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while it is also recommended to eat healthy and quick snacks when a person has to delay his main meal; As planning and preparing for daily meals contributes to obtaining good nutrition, and limits the excessive feeling of hunger that leads to eating large quantities of food, and thus gaining excess weight, and the main meals can be eaten during the day within certain times according to the ability, which we explain in the following:

 breakfast:

 Breakfast is the first meal of the day after a whole night of not eating, and it is important to provide the necessary energy that a person needs during the beginning of his day, and it is preferable to eat this meal within an hour of waking up, so that it is not too close to the time of the next snack.

 the lunch:

 It is preferable to eat lunch approximately 4 to 5 hours after breakfast, and in the event that you have to postpone lunch, it is preferable to eat a light meal that includes both protein and carbohydrates.

 the Dinner:

 Most people tend to eat large amounts of food at dinner, because they do not eat enough amounts of food throughout the day, which is wrong. It is more correct to stick to eating dinner 4 or 5 hours after lunch, or delay it for a few hours and eat Snack until then.

General tips for maintaining a healthy diet

 Limit sugar intake:

A healthy diet requires that the amount of sugar consumed in it should not exceed 10% of the total daily calories, and more health benefits can be obtained when this percentage is reduced to 5% or less. Reducing salt intake: Reducing salt consumption to less than 5 grams per day helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes.

 Make sure to eat breakfast:

 Skipping breakfast may lead to cravings for large amounts of food at subsequent meals or snacks, as well as craving unhealthy, unplanned foods in their diet.

Cut down on unhealthy snacks:

 Since sticking to healthy food may be more difficult when a person is surrounded by unhealthy foods, healthy, light foods should always be on hand.

 Control the amount of food eaten when feeling stressed and stressed:

 Some may eat large amounts of food when feeling stressed, sad, or lonely, and not because of feeling hungry, and it is recommended to learn healthy and correct ways to control stress and emotion rather than resorting to emotional food.

 Use of small plates:

 It was found that the size of food dishes affects the amount a person eats. Eating in large plates may make a person feel that the food is small, and push him to eat larger quantities, unlike what food looks like in smaller plates.

 Drink more water:

As a lot of drinking water reduces the risk of dehydration, and it is generally recommended to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water per day, in addition to other fluids coming from food.

 Combine Nutrition With Other Healthy Habits:

 Since proper nutrition is one of the parts of a healthy lifestyle, and the following are some other elements that contribute to a healthy lifestyle:

 Increase physical activity: Exercising in addition to eating healthy food contributes to reducing the risk of disease and improving health in general.

 Stay away from smoking: Smoking is one of the bad habits that increase the risk of heart disease, cancers of the mouth, throat, and lungs, and is a major factor in emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). .

 Sleeping enough hours: not getting enough sleep hours may lead to appetite disorders, such as increased appetite and eating larger quantities of food, which leads to gaining excess weight.

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet is defined as the system that provides sufficient quantities of all the nutrients that the human body needs to stay healthy without exceeding the recommended calories per day. And losing excess weight, it also contributes to reducing the risk of heart disease, and other diseases.