We eat because we are hungry, and sometimes when we are tired. Some people eat at fixed times whether they are hungry or not. Food can also be a way for people to express their sadness, hunger, or joy, and it has a social side. The kind of food influences not just our physical health but also our psychological well-being. While our bodies recognize when we are hungry, we are not developed to understand our need for special kinds of food, and unhealthy meals can be eaten unnoticed for decades before you realize that something is wrong.
What Makes a Meal Healthy?
Healthy meals are not super expensive food that is bought off the organic section in the supermarket, but rather are balanced diets that are taken with good consideration of their caloric content and their nutritional values with regards to vitamins and minerals. A balanced meal is that which has all food elements including proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. It should also give you enough caloric intake for your energy consumption without excessive calories. Excessive calories will lead to weight gain and diabetes.
A healthy diet would also have a healthy number of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are needed for multiple body functions while minerals are needed in our organs for vital processes and calcium shares in the formation of our skeleton. Vitamins and minerals are usually needed in small amounts, but their deficiency can be severe and lead to life-threatening manifestations.
Another important aspect of a healthy meal is that it should not be harmful to your stomach or gut. Some people may have difficulty with some food that can cause them indigestion or heartburn. Others are also sensitive to lactose in milk or gluten in bread, and in those individuals, such food can be unhealthy despite its obvious benefits. In short, a healthy meal is that which gives you all the nutrients that you need while avoiding any harm that may occur to you through them.
What does a Healthy Meal Contain?
A healthy meal consists of a good balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It should have around 50% of its caloric value as healthy carbohydrates which consist of whole grains, around 30% of its caloric intake as proteins in the form of meat, poultry, or fish, less than 10% of its caloric content in the form of healthy fats.
Healthy fats are polyunsaturated ones. Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils and fish oils which do not raise the level of unhealthy cholesterol.