Over a hundred thousand people all around the globe are infected with the Coronavirus, with numbers still rising every day. The World Health Organization (WHO) already declared the virus pandemic. People are panic buying and stockpiling goods in fear of not having enough that can help them fight and survive the virus. What we fail to realize is that we can do so without hoarding sanitizers or toilet papers but by simply creating a healthy meal plan to boost our immune system.
Creating a Healthy Meal Plan for A Balanced Diet
Admit it or not, eating healthily is probably one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are a chocolate lover like me. But with the virus looming around us, we better start to evaluate our eating habits.
Eating healthily doesn’t mean we have to limit the foods we eat. To maintain a balanced and healthy diet, we have to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure we are getting all the nutrients our body needs. Helpguide.org listed the following tips in creating and maintaining a healthy diet.
1. Make small changes at a time.
Deciding to eat healthier doesn’t need to be rushed. Do not pressure yourself, instead take one step at a time. If you are still starting, leaving all your favorite junk food is probably the hardest thing to do. You don’t have to restrict yourself from eating that food all at once. Add a few greens from time to time until doing that becomes a habit.
2. Eat in Moderation
Too much of everything is bad, even the Bible warns us so. A person must observe moderation in everything, that includes eating or else we will be committing Gluttony, an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
We should all have a cheat day and indulge ourselves with our favorite junk foods once in a while. Too much restriction won’t do us any good, instead it will only make us crave for more. However, make sure to reduce portion sizes of unhealthy food until eating it won’t be as satisfying as before.
3. Choose the most nutrient-dense foods you can from each food group.
Instead of cutting off certain food categories in our diet, a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals are necessary to keep our body healthy. There are good foods like lean meat, eggs, nuts and seed, etc. we should eat and foods we should avoid like processed foods.
4. More fruits and vegetables
At least five portions of fruit and vegetables are the recommended daily amount. Fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. You can even grow them in your backyard. That way, you can be sure no pesticide was used with your fruit and veggies.
5. Plan your Meal
Preparing your food is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy diet. Being a busy mom or a career woman is not an excuse. All you need is a pen and our Magnetic Calendar with a bonus Dry Erase Notepad/Grocery List and Dry Erase Marker and you are all set.
Choose whether you want to plan your meals weekly or monthly. At the beginning of the week or month, pick a few healthy recipes that you like and schedule it to your liking. With our bonus notepad/ grocery list, write down all ingredients needed and get ready to shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
Source: Healthy Eating. Healthguide.org. Retrieve from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-eating.htm