How to make your food plate healthy is not only an art but also a science.

What is a healthy meal?

What is healthy food?

How to make healthy meals?

What are healthy oils?

How to eat healthily and stay fit?

These are some of the questions, majority of people are asking either to themselves, or to their dietitians, nutritionist, doctors, parents, and colleagues, whoever they feel might know something which is “right”!

What is the “right” answer?

Well, there isn’t one “right” answer on how to make your food plate healthy. It is a combination of many.

• A healthy food plate is the one, which gives you not only a balanced diet but also gives you the energy and passion to work throughout the day at your office/home office and later during the evening in your household.
• A portion of healthy food is one that empowers you to feel refreshed and energized, to the level of playing jumping with your kids, to making perfect time for a perfect romance with your partner! Everything is important!

Color and Variety

Healthy food consists of different types of items and different colors of items. This means it is a combination of Tomatoes, Beans, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Tofu, Lettuce, Celery, Corn, and Coriander, etc. The more the color in the variety of food, the better are the chances of it being a balanced diet.

Color and Variety

Potatoes, Rice, Chapati?

Well, most often people tend to think eating simple- like rice, chapati or potatoes will lead to a healthy living. But, in reality, these food items alone can cause more damage than help! Potatoes are starchy, so are rice and chapatis. They tend to increase blood sugar! But in combination with other food items, they become an integral part of the diet.

Starchy food

What oil to use?

The most commonly used oils in Indian household are Rice Bran, Soya, Peanut or Mustard oil. The norm does say to use Olive Oils (Normal, Virgin, Extra-Virgin) and Canola Oil but, as the old saying goes “Excess of everything is bad when eaten in moderation, everything is okay”.

Butters contain trans fat which can be harmful to the heart, so it is better to use either vegan butter or fat-free spread.

Olive oil

Whole Grains

The Whole grains, such as whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats, brown rice, and foods prepared by these, for example, whole-wheat pasta, bread, noodles, have a much milder effect on blood sugar and insulin than the regular white bread, white rice, and other refined grains.

Whole grain rice, bread and pasta

Protein Power

The Indian lentils are not only rich in Proteins, but also are rich in Carbohydrates. Hence, it is important to keep them balanced with other protein-rich foods such as Greens and Color vegetables, which also contain antioxidants and other necessary vitamins and minerals.

Mix up your Proteins

Water, Coffee, Tea- What is the right amount?

Limit the intake of sugary liquids. Coffee and Tea are okay if taken in moderation and with little sugar and milk.

Most people have this notion of drowning themselves with water because it is “Compulsory”. What can be done more efficiently, is to have water-rich food instead, like the salads- Cucumber, Celery, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Broccoli, and Greens.

For people who cannot digest milk or milk products, the substitute is Soy.

Refreshing drink

Fruits

Fruits are important because they are rich in water and anti-oxidants along with all necessary vitamins, potassium, dietary fiber, and most important but less heard of, “Source of joy”. The different colors of fruits, when taken in a fruit salad, is not only a mood enhancer, but is packed with lot of immunity boosters.

Add color in life- Fruits

Food is one of the ways of keeping healthy and controlling how the day affects people.

If a person eats a lot of fatty food all day, with a lot of aerated drinks, they are bound to feel heavy, irritable, lethargic, and cranky, in contrast to the person who packs their food with color and variety and takes on the day with energy and enthusiasm. Learning how to make your food plate healthy is the lesson everyone should and must learn.

Stay Active, Stay Healthy

Due to lockdown and pandemic, gripping the world and slowing it down, it is very important to keep the currently more-sedentary lifestyle healthy and active. Even a 5-minute run can change the entire day and boost morale.

Stay Safe, Stay Indoors, Stay Healthy!