What Is a Serving?

Healthy eating includes making healthful nutrition choices, which means knowing what and how much you eat. A serving or portion is the amount of food recommended in consumer education materials, for example, My Plate.

To understand what is a serving size and implementing the practice of portion control is the best way to lose weight. Once you start with grasping of what a portion size or serving size is equivalent to, one can then start the discipline of control to put off some weight.

It’s always a better idea of making the shift from a larger plate to a smaller one will help in avoiding the craving to overfill our tummies with extra calories and then more pounds. Also, it’s important to take the time and measure out food servings for one week or two will help to visualise a clear picture of serving size.

Here are some examples of everyday comparisons to help you figure out what are serving sizes:

• 3 ounces of meat is the extent of a deck of cards
• 1 measure of pasta is the extent of a baseball
• 1½ ounces of cheddar is the extent of four stacked craps
• ½ measure of crisp organic product is the extent of a tennis ball

To overcome serving distortion and to downsize your helpings, try to attempt these tips. Always remember to eat from a plate, not a package, so you know how much you eat. You can use smaller dishes, such as a lunch plate for your dinner, so less looks like more. Once you get a good sense of portion sizes, you can compare them to the portions you eat and make any necessary modifications. If you want to get some more information about the serving size, kindly visit the wiki source of food serving size.

What Are Protein Rich Foods?

Protein is a macronutrient which is essential for the proper development of tissues, muscles and the production of hormones. The protein refers to a type of molecule in food that can be broken down into amino acids. Having too much protein is also dangerous for the body because it can lead to serious health problems. Following is a list of protein-rich foods you can include in your everyday meal:

Poultry: Chicken, specifically the white meats are a good source of protein. Make sure you are removing the skin before cooking to make it healthier. Since the skin contains saturated fats which are not good for your health.

Eggs: Eggs are full of protein and antioxidants. Eggs are a handy and cheap source of protein. Egg whites are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.

Milk, Cheese and Yogurt: Milk, Cheese, and yogurt are excellent sources of protein. They are also rich in calcium which is necessary for stronger bones. If you are following some strict diet, choose low-fat varieties when buying this kind of products.

Beans: Beans and peas are a rich source of protein especially for the vegetarians. Amazingly, protein in an ounce of broiled steak is equivalent to protein in the half cup of beans. Beans are also rich in fibre which helps you feel full of energy. 

Fish: Fish are an excellent source of protein and salmon is one of the best kinds. 100 gram of fish contains 22 grams of protein which is considered as a good source of protein.

Grains: Whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat, and rye bread are rich in protein. They are also loaded with fibres, vitamins and minerals that are essential for body function. Grains are easily available in the market and you can create a variety of meals from grains.

Now you all are aware of the protein rich foods but it’s important to eat the right amount and the right kind of protein in order to stay healthy. Protein can help you reduce those extra pounds while keeping your tummy full. To know more about the protein in detail kindly visit the wiki source of protein. 

What Are Macro Nutrients?

The human body requires some fundamental components and supplements to live life effectively. One of them is macro nutrients. Marco-nutrients are the source of energy behind the body's capacity to work efficiently. There are three main macro nutrients that contain the larger part of calories our body needs to work. Most of you are likely exceptionally familiar with those nutrients, yet you may have never known the basic part they play in a furnishing you with a healthy, balanced diet. Carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

All foods contain mostly three macro-nutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and fats. Some foods consist mainly one macro-nutrient while others contain mixes of each of the three. Your body needs each of the three full-scale supplements to work appropriately. Here is a brief idea of each macro-nutrient:

Carbohydrates: Carbs are the best source of energy for all physical and mental human needs. There are two sorts of carbs: simple and complex. Sources of simple carbs include honey, white and brown sugar, candies, cookies, and fruits. Simple carbohydrates provide the quick energy to the body, but most of the simple carbohydrate sources don't provide many nutrients except for fruits and fruit juices. Complex carbs (whole grains, most vegetables, nuts) provide stable, long-lasting energy. They are also the good source of many vitamins and minerals.

Proteins: Proteins are key for building and repairing muscles, red platelets, hair and different tissues, and for synthesising hormones in the body. Animal proteins come from fish, poultry, eggs and dairy. Whereas some plant nutrients, for example, vegetables and soy (tofu), are additionally great sources of protein. Here it’s important to remember that consuming protein in an excessive way is stored as body fat and may only be used for energy if carbohydrates aren't available.

Fats: Fats enable your body to store and absorb various vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K. Fats help your cells and organs and build sound skin and hair. Somewhat a small amount of fat in the eating routine is essential and consuming too much fat is not good for the health. 

There are major macro nutrients required by the human body. Maintaining a healthy balance of these three important nutrients into your diet is one of the easiest ways to lose weight and keep it off.

What Are the Energy Boosting Foods?

In today’s hyperactive world it’s important to stay happy and efficient productive. But it seems difficult to have sufficient energy to get all things done. Your work life is demanding, your family need all of your time, and there is simply too much on your plate. You only have the energy to lie down on your bed and forget about the rest all the things.

Now the question came in mind, what can you do to boost your energy? The answer is quite simple; it is all about in your daily diet. As you know some foods make you lethargic and tired and there are some healthy foods that give you an extra boost of energy. Generally, a healthy diet with three meals a day is essential for staying active all the time. But nowadays, it’s recommended to have 5 small meals per day to stay fit and healthy. Try out these foods to boost your energy and stay active:

Whole Grains - The whole grains give you the carbohydrates that your body need without making you fat. Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for the body. Also, carbohydrates are rich in fibre which makes digestion easier. The anti-oxidant in the fibres is good for your skin.

Fresh Fruits – Fresh fruits are the excellent source of energy boosting foods. The reason is fruits contains the fructose, vitamins and minerals. The oranges, kiwis and grapes are great choices of energy boosting foods. You can also have freshly prepared juices and smoothies as well.

Green Vegetables – Eating vegetable is important because they have disease fighting properties and great for brain function. However, do you know what kind of leafy greens are the best for your health and energy? Spinach, Collards, Chard, Kale and the list is long. You should keep in mind that the greener the vegetable, the healthier it is.

Some other things are you should have protein-rich foods in order to be full of energy. The protein rich nuts have some valuable qualities. The almond and cashews are great energy boosters. Chicken can be consumed at lunch for more energy throughout the long afternoon. The dark chocolate and Green Tea can really boost your brain activity. It is not rich in calories, but in beneficial antioxidants. 

What is Estimated Energy Requirement?

Well, you started reading this post means you are among those people trying to lose weight or would like to maintain your weight. This blog will give you a brief idea about recommended daily calorie intake or estimated energy requirement for both kind of people, dieters who want weight loss and who just want to maintain their weight. After going through this blog, you will be able to know how to calculate your calorie intake and plan your diet.

The average calorie intake per day for adult men is 2,500 and for adult women, it is 1,940. But, the lowest acceptable calorie intake is about 1,800 for men and 1,200 for women. These estimated energy requirements are for adults with average built. If you are a sports person or have a medical condition, your daily recommended calories will be different. While calculating your calories a common mistake that everyone does is they only count calorie and ignored the fact that the body required a balanced diet, not just the calories. You need to eat sufficient fruits, vegetables, protein and other nutrients.

Then the question arises, what should we eat?

A healthy diet consists of fibre rich and low in fat. Your food source should come from all the major food groups. Remember the food pyramid that we used to learn back in our school. Nowadays, it’s recommended to eat the minimum of 4-5 servings of vegetables. Therefore, you should keep in mind that besides daily recommended calories, it’s important to take note of what food you are eating.

Distribute your diet according to the food groups. For example: to get fibre and energy, eat rice and pasta that comes under food group 1. Include vegetables and fruits in your diet and it come under second food group. Food group 2 are sources of vitamins and minerals. The third group is composed of dairy products that are rich in calcium. Food group 4 consists of fish, eggs and meat contains the high protein foods.

Eating these foods and monitoring your daily calorie intake will ensure you stay healthy and maintain your body weight. You can start to follow these calorie guidelines from today, there is no such thing as waiting for the right time to eat right.

If you want to know more about recommended daily calorie intake, please visit the wiki page for daily calorie intake.

How to Prepare Healthy Food?

To cook healthy food is one of the important skill you should have these days. It is certainly tempting to go for ready to eat and fast foods where food is readily available, but it can be a major reason of having the high sodium, high-fat diets in today’s scenario. These ready to make foods increase your cholesterol, risk of heart attack and other health problems.

I am pretty sure, you are discovering the healthy way to prepare your meal, here are a few things to keep in mind that you may find useful when it comes to learning how to cook healthy food.

Food Ingredients

Preparing healthy food is directly dependent on the ingredients you are using while cooking food. Undoubtedly, you are cooking for yourself so that you can choose healthy ingredients, so try to stay away from processed foods. Cooking is of no use if you are using the processed spices and processed foods in it.

Always go for fresh vegetables and fruits. Don’t forget to wash the vegetables and fruits thoroughly to make sure they are free from chemical residues. Aside from opting for fresh vegetables, you also have to avoid fats, oils and high-cholesterol ingredients. Choose the healthier options when collecting your ingredients and spices. Also, make sure that you use a variety of vegetables to help you boost your immune system.

Some of you have some restrictions on foods. In such cases, it’s wise to find alternatives of fruits and vegetables that are good for you.

Techniques of Cooking

Once you have done with choosing the natural and fresh ingredients, it is very important to consider the method of cooking that you are going to use. As cooking healthy food means to preserve the nutrients in the food even after cooking. You have to maintain the nutritious contents of your cooked meal and you have to keep in mind that cooking technique should not be something that drains your recipe with nutrients.

The popular ways to cook your healthy meal is to roast, bake, grill or steam them. These cooking methods are healthier as they do not steal its nutrients from your meal.

These are just a few tips on how to make healthy foods. You can go online and learn the ways to cook a healthy meal or else you can browse the wiki guidelines of the healthy diet.