Define Healthy Food For You
Say You have a glass of whole milk with fortified cereal, a ramekin of blueberry yogurt with granola, and a bowl of pasta cooked in pure olive oil kept in front of you. Which of these do you think is the healthiest food for you? Well, the answer is – it depends. What may sound healthy, may not actually be healthy and what may suit you, may not suit someone else. Here’s how you can define healthy food and judge its health quotient.
- Understand individual ingredients
Let’s take the example of the blueberry yogurt with granola – it sounds healthy, but is it really? Blueberry, in the syrup form, is likely to be loaded with sugar; certain types of yogurt do not improve health and if the granola contains processed carbs and more sugar, all you’ve consumed is a bowl of calories with minimal nutritional value.
- Look at the serving size
Consider the serving size while you consume the food. If you eat 2 servings of food, you will consume double the calories and may surpass the recommended dietary allowance. Often, underestimating calorie-dense foods can lead to weight gain.
- Understand your own body’s capabilities
What’s wrong with a warm plate of freshly cooked pasta in pure virgin oil? Just about everything. If you’re gluten intolerant and your body’s response to monounsaturated fatty acids is poor, you’re practically burdening your body with the food you’re not supposed to eat.
In order to understand what is healthy food for you, you must first understand your body’s innate strengths and weaknesses. This can be done via reliable predictive tests available in the market.
- Stay away from marketing gimmicks
Fortified Cereals have been the most marketed item in the market for children and individuals on weight loss. Fortified cereals are supposed to boost up the nutritional value of food with an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. The truth of the matter is that a lot of reputed brands, try to define unhealthy food products by using marketing terms such as “fortified” “organic” “natural” “nutritious”, however they sometimes are nothing but misnomers and inaccuracies.
When consuming food be wary of misleading claims. Adhere to good quality food whenever possible. Home-cooked food from fresh, unprocessed naturally occurring ingredients is generally the most trustworthy and beneficial. Most importantly, identify your body’s blueprint so you know what suits you and what doesn’t.