Creating a Well-balanced Meal

Too often we are so busy that we forget to eat as healthily as we should. Fast-food meals on the go, unhealthy snacks, and the tendency to eat what is most convenient (whether it is healthy or not) can be unfortunate consequences of a busy lifestyle. Sometimes it is hard to find time to sit down and eat a home-cooked meal, which might make it easier to choose more balanced possibilities.

But even if you are too busy to cook meals yourself, you can still enjoy a balanced diet by paying attention to what you order and eat at meals. No matter what your situation is, you can have a well-balanced meal that can help you stay healthy.

To make balanced eating easier, look at these ideas for creating well-rounded meals:

• Look at the Food Pyramid. One way to get a good idea of what you should be eating is to examine the food pyramid. A meal should consist of plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as servings of grain, protein, and possibly dairy. It is good to have some of everything instead of a huge portion of one thing (a big piece of meat, for instance) and only a little bit of other things (like a very small side of vegetables). The more balanced you make the portions, the more nutrition you will be getting from different kinds of foods. The food pyramid can help you decide on what amounts of certain foods you might need to eat each day. Even if you are in a hurry, you can still make good choices about which foods to eat at meals.
• Eat Colorfully. The best way to get the most nutrition from your meal is to eat foods in a variety of colors. Make sure that there are many colors on your plate instead of just one or two. This helps you to eat a more varied selection of foods.
• Try New Fruits and Vegetables. If you or your family have trouble getting enough fruits and vegetables at meals because you are tired of the same old things, try switching things up by eating new foods. There are many vegetables and fruits out there that you might not even know about! Another option is to try vegetables cooked in new ways, like frying or grilling instead of steaming.
• Eat a Variety of Tastes and Textures. Don't eat the same things all the time if you can help it. Try out new tastes and textures, and be sure that your meals include foods that aren't all alike (for instance, have hot foods and cold foods, soft foods and hard foods, etc.). This will make meals more interesting and nutritious.

Hopefully these ideas can help you feel better prepared to create more nutritious and balanced meals.