Eating Tips for a He althy Diet

Diet is often used as a way to get the ideal weight. However, eating patterns for a he althy diet does not mean it has to be done by skipping meals. To find out the right way to live a he althy diet, see the explanation in the following article

The key to a he althy diet is to balance the number of calories consumed with those expended. In addition, a he althy diet also needs to be done by meeting the body's nutritional needs, such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, as well as various vitamins and minerals.

Not only to meet the body's energy and nutritional needs, eating a he althy diet is also good for maintaining an ideal body weight and reducing the risk of certain diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

To have a he althy diet, it is important for you to know the daily calorie requirement guide and what are the good food choices to eat.

Recommended Daily Calorie Intake

Your weight will increase when the number of calories consumed exceeds the calorie limit needed by the body, especially if you also rarely exercise. Because, excess calories that are not used by the body will be stored as fat.

Therefore, in order to maintain body weight and he alth, the number of daily calories you consume must be balanced.

Everyone's calorie needs may vary, depending on age and gender. The following is a recommended daily calorie intake based on age according to the Ministry of He alth of the Republic of Indonesia:

• Children aged 1–6 years: 1,350–1,400 calories
• Children ages 7–9: 1,650 calories
• Teenagers: 2,000–2,650 calories
• Adult: 2,150–2,650 calories
• Pregnant and lactating women: 2,400–2,650 calories

Food Choices for He althy Diet

The choice of food and drink you consume needs to be adjusted to the body's daily calorie needs. You can get enough of these calories from various foods, such as eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

If you consume packaged foods and drinks, you can adjust the calories that enter the body by looking at the number of calories that are usually listed on the packaging label.

In general, there are several food choices that you can consume while following a he althy diet, including:

• Vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and carrots
• Fruits, such as mango, banana, avocado and apple
• Cereals or grains, such as whole wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice
• Low-fat milk and dairy products, including yogurt and cheese
• Sources of protein, including seafood, poultry, eggs, meat and nuts
• He althy oils, such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and canola oil

Foods to Avoid When Living a He althy Diet

In living a he althy diet, you need to limit the consumption of foods that contain lots of s alt, saturated fat or cholesterol, and added sugar.

Recommendations for consumption of s alt, sugar and fat by the government of the Republic of Indonesia are:

• Sugar: 4 tablespoons or 50 grams per day
• S alt: 1 teaspoon or 5 grams per day
• Fat: 5 tablespoons or 67 grams per day

Eating Pattern Tips for He althy Diet

Successful dieting and implementing a he althy eating pattern starts with changing your eating habits gradually and consistently. Here are some tips that you can apply to start a he althy diet:

Avoid skipping meals

Postponing or skipping meals, especially breakfast, can make the body lack energy. The habit of not having breakfast can also cause the body to lack certain nutrients, such as protein, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate.

Eat before hungry

You are advised to eat before hunger arises. Thus, your portion sizes will be more controlled and you will feel full quickly. Avoid eating or snacking when you are already very hungry or when you are anxious or stressed.

If you eat in this situation, the urge to overeat will be higher, so you will find it difficult to regulate the portion of food and the type of food consumed. As a result, weight will be difficult to control.

Limit snacking habits

Reduce the habit of eating snacks to relieve hunger or fill spare time, especially unhe althy snacks, such as chips, fried foods, or ice cream.

Although it tastes delicious, this type of snack contains a lot of saturated fat, sugar, and s alt, but is low in nutritional content. Instead, you can replace snacks with he althier options, such as fruit, almonds, hard-boiled eggs, or high-protein, low-fat yogurt.

Basically, eating patterns for a he althy diet above are good for maintaining he alth conditions. However, if you suffer from certain diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes, you should consult with your doctor to determine a he althy and appropriate diet, according to your conditions and needs.