Healthy Nutrition For Your Family

It’s the universal truth – You are what you eat and a good diet is key to overall good health. However, the realm of good nutrition is riddled with fad diets that promise to help you lose weight overnight and it’s easy to mistake a healthy, nutritious diet for one that is simply focused on weight-loss without any thought to nutritional requirements. The truth is, the body requires food from all the five food groups in order to meet its nutritional needs and carbohydrate-free, fat-free and other extreme diets can have an adverse affect on your health in the long run.

Take a look at the five major food groups and why it is important to include each one of them in your daily diet.

Carbohydrates
The body’s main source of energy, carbohydrates can be found in bread, cereals, potatoes, rice and pasta. Interestingly, apart from potatoes, all the other carbohydrate-containing foods started life as a grain. Unrefined grains that still contain the bran and germ have higher fiber content and are a healthier alternative to the refined versions. Examples of unrefined carbohydrates include whole grain rice, whole meal bread, porridge oats and whole wheat pasta.

Protein
Essential for building and repairing the body, protein is an indispensable part of healthy nutrition. Because the body cannot store protein, it is particularly important to include some amount of protein in your daily diet. Non-vegetarian foods that contain protein include fish, eggs, poultry and meats whereas vegetarian foods include soya products, pulses, nuts, beans and seeds.

Vitamins & Minerals
Rich in vitamins and minerals, brimming with fiber and low in calories, vegetables and fruit are an important part of healthy nutrition and are largely responsible for lowering the risk of several ailments including some cancers and heart disease. Though fruits and vegetables are best eaten fresh; the cooked, tinned, juiced or dried varieties do offer nutritional value too. Citrus fruits, melons and berries give the body much needed Vitamin C and carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins are good sources of the all-important Vitamin A. Vitamins B-complex, E and K can be got from a variety of green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Calcium
Found abundantly in all milk and dairy products including yoghurt and cheese, calcium ensures the smooth functioning of the muscles and nerves; helps strengthen the teeth and bones and is essential for overall growth. Inadequate intake of calcium is the primary cause of osteoporosis, wherein the bones lose their density and become increasingly brittle. The good news is, by choosing low-fat dairy products it is fairly easy to get your daily calcium requirement without those extra calories. So even if you are on a weight-loss program, there is no need to skimp on the milk. Besides an abundance of calcium, dairy products also provide the body with many different types of essential nutrients that promote health and well-being. Never mind what diet, just drink up; it’s good for you.

Fats and sugars
Not as bad as they are commonly made out to be, fats and sugars are an important source of energy and do contribute to good health. However, they are best eaten sparingly because of their high calorie content. Unsaturated fats, which are obtained from oily fish and vegetable oils are a healthier alternative to saturated fats that are found in whole milk, butter, cheese and lard.

The best way to ensure that you and your family are eating healthy is to cook your food from scratch at home. This can be daunting and time consuming BUT there is a solution. The slow cooker.

All you need do is set aside a few minutes in the morning for preparation and then by evening you will have your evening meal cooked. Don't get hung up that the crock pot is just for stews because I'm hear to tell you it can cook a whole lot more. Don't believe me – then go and check out Lisa's site a-crock-cook.com for the most amazingly simple home cooked crock pot meals. Take a look at the range of crock pot recipes she and her husband have cooked and then do yourself a favor and try one. Her crock pot lamb shank recipe is 'to die for'.