12 Foods to Maintain a Balanced Healthy Diet

The key to enjoying a long, healthy and fulfilling life where you can enjoy your body at its most optimum energy is to create a wholesome and well-balanced diet to provide you all the essential nutrients. If you are consuming at least five servings of fresh fruits and colourful vegetables each day, you not only end up avoiding those horrid cravings for fast food items, but you also feel much more energetic, fresh and positive.

But really, what does a balanced diet truly mean and why does everyone make it so complicated? It’s not complicated at all, all you need to do is adopt all the right nutritious superfoods, eliminate the unhealthy junk and trans fats, and make sure you create a mindful balance by avoiding all kinds of accesses and overeating.

If you’re unsure about the specific food items that will benefit you the most when added to your daily diet, an easier way would be finding out what nutrients your body lacks. Research reveals that nearly 75% of the population has a magnesium deficiency for they fail to consume the recommended daily dosage requirement of 300mg. If you are deficient in magnesium, picking out magnesium-rich foods, such as beans and lentils, would be a great start towards building a wholesome diet.

There are countless nutrient-rich food items that will not only give your daily diet a scrumptious taste and flavourful variety so you don’t feel deprived, but also, they will help you achieve your health goals and enhance all your bodily functions, along with preventing the development of several chronic diseases.

We’ve picked out 12 superfoods that are loaded with heaps of beneficial nutrients to help you create a well-balanced diet. Here, take a look:

1. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage, are regarded as superfoods for they are loaded with countless minerals and vitamins. These vegetables hail from the family of brassicaceae, which derives its Latin name from ‘Crucifare’, which literally denotes the cross, as they feature four central leaves that look very similar to a cross.

These flavour-packed vegetables are packed with nutrients, including fiber, vitamins and the protective phytochemicals that fight off countless chronic diseases. You can add them to your salads, stews, soups, casseroles, pastas, pizzas and baked treats.

2. Lean Beef & Chicken Breast

All healthy and balanced diets require you to eat mindful servings of chicken and lean beef to give your body a rich concentration of energising protein. Our body requires a regular source of protein, and if you are a meat-eater, it is highly advisable to pick out the leanest cut of your meat, such as chicken breasts and certain beef cuts. You butcher can help you pick out the right one.

Research reveals that raising your protein consumption to no more than 30% of your daily calorie consumption can help you cut down the horrid late-night snacking, which will bring about a reducing of nearly half a pound of fat in just one week. Just be careful to avoid overeating meat-based protein. The key is to take mindful servings and eat it no more than twice or thrice a week.