Balanced Diet for Healthy Lifestyles

The Art of healthy lifestyles
The key to a healthy lifestyle and keeping your weight in check is following a balanced diet that includes all the right foods in the right amounts. The term 'balanced diet' is one of those health mantras that are constantly heard but rarely explained. What it means is a diet that includes a combination of several different food types, including grains and pulses, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, fats and oils.

Crucial to the idea of a balanced diet is including foods in the right proportions; the aim is to get all the nutrients your body needs while maintaining a healthy weight. It isn't a case of having roughly equal measures of everything. There should be a lot of some foods and just a little of others. Some fats and oils, for example, are important in the diet for various reasons, including absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. But you only need a small amount compared with foods such as vegetables.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency has developed a program called The Balance of Good Health to show people what proportions and types of foods make up a healthy balanced diet.

This divides foods into five different groups:
-Bread,other cereals and potatoes
-Fruit and vegetables
-Milk and dairy foods
-Meat, fish and alternatives
-Foods containing fat and foods containing sugar

The largest groups are bread and vegetables, followed by milk and meat. The smallest by far is the salt and sugar group. Fresh fruits and vegetables are low in fat, calories and salt, and an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most of us don't eat enough to meet the current recommendation of three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits a day.

Protein-rich foods and dairy foods are needed in more moderate amounts. Your diet should include two to three servings of milk or dairy produce a day, for example. Take care that protein-rich foods don't bring a lot of fat with them; trim the fat off meat and take the skin off chicken. Think about how you cook foods too; meat fried or in breadcrumbs adds extra fat.

How much is a serving?The size of a serving of some foods, especially fruit, is easy to work out; common sense is also a good guide. More specifically, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid outlines standard serving sizes for many foods, based on the American imperial system of cups. For example, one cup of milk counts as one serving, as does half a cup of pasta or a slice of bread.How many servings we need of each food group every day depends on our age, gender and level of activity.

It's not too difficult to keep track of how many servings of certain individual foods we eat each day, such as an apple or a piece of cheese. But what happens when you throw a number of foods together in a meal?All you need to do is break a meal down into its individual ingredients. For example, shepherd's pie with a cheesy crust combines foods from two or more groups, depending on how you make it, including:
-Potato, carrot and onion (fruit and vegetables)
-Minced lamb or beef (meat)
-Cheese (milk and dairy)

The Art of healthy lifestyles

Food Trends

The art of-Healthy-Lifestyles

Each year, the food industry rushes to fill stores with new and interesting foods to meet the changing needs of consumers. These days, the trendy buzzwords range from "organic" to "functional foods." Food labels promise less trans fat, fewer calories, and more flavor. It seems that Americans want healthier food -- but they also want it to be easy and fast.

Trends in food are ever-changing, depending on our lifestyles, research findings, and rules set forth by the FDA, among other things.

For example, food manufacturers have been working to improve on Mother Nature. Technology allows manufacturers to add nutrients where they are not found naturally, the result being the trend toward so-called fortified foods.

Influences on food trends come in large part from the growing population of baby boomers, many of whom are also "empty nesters." These boomers have more time to cook, and are paying more attention to foods' health effects while demanding upscale foods.

Beyond the grocery store, food trends reflect our desire to break bread with friends and family. For example, consider the growing trend toward "supper clubs" that merge people who share diverse backgrounds and cultural foods.
Some of the popular food trends today include:

*Healthier foods. Americans want less bad stuff and more good stuff in their food. Look for more foods with reduced trans fat.

*Functional foods. Among the fastest-growing segments of the market are foods with added vitamins and minerals, which aim to help protect against disease and promote wellness.

*Organic and farm-friendly foods. Should you spend a little more and buy the organic, or "homestead" or "farmstead" (grown on a small or local farm) version of your favorite foods? Organic has gone mainstream, and many people swear by the benefits.

*Leisurely dining. This is all about eating slowly, savoring every bite, and enjoying both the food and the social environment. In our hurry-up world, taking time to dine leisurely, as Europeans do, is catching on as a healthy trend.

*Supper clubs. Getting together people who enjoy great food and friendship is a hot trend in neighborhoods across the country.

*Eat more for less. Most everyone wants to lose weight, and this concept involves eating foods that are low in calories, yet high in volume. The idea is to feel full on fewer calories.

*Quick fix. Store shelves are stocked with ready-to-eat or easy-use food products that help fill our desire for home cooking with a little less hassle. You can use them to pull together a "halfway homemade" meal in a few minutes.

*Takeout. More people are ordering take-out food from full-service restaurants. Healthier, more upscale items at fast-food restaurants are also attracting more discriminating diners.

*Fancy. The premium food market is expected to grow, thanks to the demand for gourmet products.

*Exotic flavors. Bland is out, and highly flavored is in, including exotic fruit flavors, Asian influences, aged vinegars, and savory spicing.

*Grazing. Smaller, more frequent meals, as well as meal-replacement bars and drinks, may help people control calories.

*Heart health. Heart-healthy foods appeal to baby boomers and other health-conscious shoppers.

The Art of Healthy Lifestyles