How to Put Together Healthy Meals

Most of us are interested in providing our families with healthy food. If you are the cook in the family, putting together a meal is key in eating healthy. Here are some easy guidelines to follow for choosing foods for a healthy meal.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
   4 Food Groups

   KNOW YOUR FOOD GROUPS
   
   Meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables, breads and grains are the four food groups. Have a mix of these in your meals. When planning a meal, try to include one of each food group in a meal. Remember, corn and potatoes do not count as vegetables. Healthier meals are heavy on the vegetables.

2. 
   Starchy Foods

   ONLY ONE STARCH PER MEAL IS BEST
   
   There are several reasons to keep starches to a minimum in meals. They are fattening and turn to sugar when we eat them. Starches include pasta, corn, potatoes, rice, and bread. Yes, the good stuff. While starches are filling and taste good, too many are not healthy for us.

3. 
   Whole Gains

   CHOOSE WHOLE GRAINS
   
   When serving breads, rice or pasta at meals, choose whole grain bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. Breads and pasta made from white flour can be likened to eating glue. Fiber and the nutritious part of wheat has been removed from products made from white flour during the refining process leaving a food that moves along slowly gumming up the digestive tract.

4. 
   Colorful Meals

   ADD COLOR TO YOUR MEALS
   
   Your healthiest foods are the most colorful foods. Leafy green vegetables, blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. Not only are colorful foods the healthiest of foods, they have eye appeal and make meals attractive. So, at your next meal, take a look at how much color is on your table.

5. 
   Cook From Scratch

   MAKE MEALS FROM SCRATCH
   
   Simply, the healthiest and most nutritious meals are those made from scratch. Packaged and processed foods are often made with white sugar and white flour and contain additives and chemicals. Whole foods are best for our body and these foods do not come in a box.

6. LOSE THE MICROWAVE
   
   Get rid of your microwave. At best, microwaves destroy enzymes and vitamins in foods. Even worse than this, there is plenty of evidence that microwaves alter the molecular structure of foods leaving you with a food that your body does not know what to do with or even does harm to your body. Eat plenty of raw foods and cook the old fashioned way, on the stove.

Tips & Warnings

• EAT AT THE TABLE. Meals are a great time to connect with your family. Eating at the table can improve digestion and even aid in weight control. When you eat in front of the TV or on the run, you tend to not pay attention to what you are eating and eat too fast. Meals are for providing fuel for our bodies. Focus on the nutritious food you are eating and be thankful you have it.

Resources

• Whole Foods

[mommyhen42]

on 6/5/2009 great tips, now if I could only get the entire family on board the nutrition train I would be doing great!

[leaper]

on 6/2/2009 Great article on healthy meals.

[athome]

on 5/25/2009 Great article on putting together healthy meals. 5*

[MomWhoWrites]

on 5/23/2009 This is an amazing guide on putting together healthy meals. I am adding this to my favorites! Thank you!

[shasha10]

on 5/20/2009 Excellent article. You discussed some very important points and I agree with you on every step! Our society needs to focus on healthy meals. 5*