NUTRITION Plan your healthy meal

Table of Contents

Having a healthy diet is considered to be mandatory to lead a good life. Not only it is considered to be absolutely essential but also integral to general fitness with the right proportion of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Anyhow, the most important task is to plan a healthy meal. But a common menu is not something which is prescribed because different parameters such as age, weight, climate and others are very different from one another. A menu plan is healthy only when it is flexible, activity orientated and need based.

On an average, a day’s healthy meal plan should have the following components. The menu should have three major meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and two light snacks in between (mid-day and mid-evening). A protein rich breakfast is a must, followed by an antioxidant rich snack. Lunch can be flexible, based on the availability. A mid-evening protein rich snack will prevent energy drop and urge for junk foods. A light and early dinner preferably should be completed before 7.30pm. Bed time protein drink is advisable only for those who are diabetic and on weight loss programmes.

For people living in Indian sub-continent, having heavy lunch is a common affair. An ideal lunch should have a sweet in the form of patchadi, vegetable salad along with a whole cereal like the hand pound rice, millets or roti one can have a dhal in any form. Additionally, vegetables from both the groups (group A and Group B) with greens as one of the options can be opted with Low fat curd or buttermilk. Those who are concerned about weight should remember the simplest way to reduce carbohydrate intake, is to avoid sugar in any form followed by exclusion of refined food and products.

People living in European countries tend to have dinner whereas in India it is exactly opposite. Anyhow, an early and light dinner is always preferred. Tiffin with dhal and / dhal and vegetable mixed would be the best choice.  Vegetable salad before dinner can be a good option as it will prevent midnight hunger pangs. Fruits should either be had 15-30 min before food or 1&1/2 -2 hours after dinner. If fruit is the dinner, then select on calorie dense fruits to make up for the required calories. Only fruits for dinner are not advisable for those having comorbidities.

To provide instant energy to the body, individuals can have fruit juices with glucose, fruits, canned fruit pulps, tender coconut water. Among milk products, ice cream, milk shakes, sweet lassie, flavoured yogurt are good options. Cereal bars with dates and honey, cereal premix and also chikkies with nuts or seeds and dark chocolates can also boost up.