A healthy diet menu is a list of balanced nutritious foods with levels that are adjusted to the body's needs every day. This menu is not only devoted to those who want to lose weight, but also to everyone who wants to live a healthy life.
To get maximum benefits, your healthy diet menu must contain a variety of essential nutrients that your body needs. Essential nutrients are nutrients that cannot be produced by the body itself, so they must be met by consuming foods that contain these nutrients.
The essential nutrients that must be included in a healthy diet are divided into two categories, namely macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients that the body needs in large amounts to provide energy for the body. Macronutrients consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. While micronutrients are nutrients that support the body's performance, and are enough to be consumed in small amounts. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.
The Importance of Nutrients That Must Be in a Healthy Diet Menu
Every day, the body needs to be given an intake consisting of carbohydrates, protein, fat, various vitamins and minerals, and water to support its performance.
Why are these substances so important for the body? Here's the explanation:
- CarbohydrateThe body's main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. The brain can also work optimally if it gets enough of this intake. Examples of good carbohydrates are foods made from whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Carbohydrates that you should limit consumption include white rice, packaged fruit drinks, soft drinks, potato chips, candy, and sweet pastries.
- ProteinThis substance is a source of energy for the body. Adequate protein intake is very important for the growth of body tissues, helps maintain a healthy body, and helps the body heal itself. Protein can be found in eggs, fish, meat, soybeans, poultry, cheese, and nuts.
- FatYou may avoid if there are foods that contain fat. However, fatty foods do not always have to be avoided. The body also needs fat intake to maintain cell structure and help body tissues function properly, maintain the immune system, and help the body absorb vitamins.
Even so, you must know the limits of consuming fatty foods so that they do not cause weight gain, and do not increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Choose good fatty foods, such as fish, lean poultry, vegetable oils (olive oil). Limit fatty foods such as pizza, burgers, sausages, and fast food, as they are high in saturated fat.
- Vitamins and mineralsBoth of these substances can help the organs of the body in carrying out their functions. The vitamins needed by the body are vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. While the minerals that the body needs include calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and selenium.
- WaterLiquids do not have nutrients, but water can hydrate the body. About half of your body composition consists of water. Apart from drinking water, you can get fluids from foods such as fruits and vegetables.
You can get all of the above ingredients if you run a healthy diet menu.
Don't Forget To Meet Your Daily Calorie Needs
In addition to paying attention to its nutritional value, the foods that must be on a healthy diet menu must also be adjusted to your daily calorie needs. Each individual has different calorie needs. However, the average adult needs 2000 calories per day. Consult a nutritionist so you can find out the number of calories according to body conditions, including age, gender, daily physical activity, metabolism, height and weight, and certain health conditions.
Eating based on calorie needs is very important, especially for those of you who want to lose or maintain weight. Calories can make the body energized. However, consuming more calories than your body needs can cause them to accumulate in the body and be stored as fat.
Example of a 2000 Calorie Healthy Diet Menu
Here's a 2000 calorie healthy diet menu that you can apply for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although it is called a healthy diet menu, your tongue can still be spoiled by this variety of food.
- BreakfastYou can fill your stomach by eating a bowl of cereal topped with raisins and fat-free milk. After that, one small banana and one slice of whole-grain bread (whole grains) with margarine and jam you can eat.
Other healthy breakfast options are oatmeal which is mixed with raisins and cooked with margarine. For drinks, you can drink orange juice (250 ml) and nonfat milk (120 ml).
- Have lunchYou can make a sandwich consisting of whole-grain bread, chicken, lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, and mustard sauce. End your lunch with 200 grams of boiled potatoes.
- DinnerCapcay tofu with vegetables and peppers, a bowl of brown rice and a cup of lemon iced tea about 250 ml.
Another dinner variation that you can try is 140 grams of grilled salmon, sprinkled with celery leaves, onions, and bread crumbs. Serve with rice, 125 grams of steamed broccoli, and almonds. End the dinner with nonfat milk (250 ml).
- SnackAn example of a snack that you can consume every day consists of 250 grams of low-fat yogurt mixed with fruit.
There may be times when you are bored with healthy food and want to eat foods with high fat and calories, such as fast food. You can consume it on certain days, for example every Sunday. However, the next day, you must eat foods that are low in calories to avoid the accumulation of calories in the body. Implementing a healthy diet menu will be more helpful if you regularly exercise, at least 30 minutes per day, in order to maintain body fitness.