How to make your meals nutritionally Rich?
Meeting your daily nutrients requirements is not that difficult if you plan your meals carefully. Learn how to select healthy food options in meals:
Breakfast: Usually people are in rush during morning hours and they tend to miss their breakfast but eating breakfast is highly important as our body requires some fuel after such a long gap of 10 to 12 hours to perform in effective manner. Breakfast provides us the energy to carry out our daily activities in better manner.
A good breakfast should consist of:
a. Dietary fiber or carbohydrates (Whole-grain bread, oatmeal, white oats, wheat flakes etc)
b. Proteins: eggs and egg whites, yogurt, milk, nuts and sprouts all contain protein.
c. Nuts: Include some nuts like almonds, walnuts, apricots and figs.
Here are some healthy Indian breakfast options from which you can choose:
Some Breakfast options :
1. Whole grain cereal topped with fresh chopped fruit eaten with skimmed milk.
2. Two hard boiled eggs with two slices of multigrain bread
3. A large bowl of oatmeal with nuts and skimmed milk
4. Paneer sandwich (multi grain bread) or paneer stuffed roti
5. Sprouts chat or kalachana chat
Lunch: One should opt for whole wheat cereals like oats, barley, jawar , bran in lunch and some good source of proteins like paneer, dal, chicken, fish etc. Include some yogurt, salad and fruits to make it a complete whole some meal.
Some Lunch options:
1. Whole wheat pasta with chicken or sprouts salad
2. 1-2 soya or tofu or paneer with vegetables rolls
3. 1-2 barley chapati with any dal and vegetables and curd
4. 1-2 dal stuffed roti with veggies and curd
5. Ragi uttapam or dosa with sambhar and buttermilk
6. Bowl of brown rice with dal or chicken with vegetables and salad
Dinner: choose some foods which is satisfying so that you don’t binge after your dinner. Include foods rich in protein with good amount of vegetables added to give enough vitamins and minerals.
Some Dinner options:
1. 1 Bowl of vegetables soup with Soya/tofu/chicken /fish+ vegetables +salad
2. Paneer tikka + bowl of soup+ salad
3. Bowl of yellow moong dal or 1-2 yellow moong dal cheela +veggies +salad
4. Oats or muesli with skimmed milk or soya milk +fruits
5. 1-2 besan cheela with mint chutney
Recommended dietary allowances of sedentary adult male and female:
a. Energy or calories:
Men: 2320 kcal/day
Female: 1900 Kcal/day
b. Protein
Men: 60 g/day
Female: 55 g/day
c. Calcium:
Men: 600 mg/day
Female: 600 mg/day
d. Iron:
Men: 17 mg/day
Female:21mg/day
Nutritional requirements vary as per the different stages of life and medical issues associated. As per Recommended dietary allowance there is difference in the amount of calories, proteins, calcium , iron and all the vitamins and minerals for adult males and females and kids. Nutritional requirements changes with different stages of life as per the body needs and requirements.
For eg Nutrition is highly important for children’s and teens as they are in the growing phase of the life hence their diets needs to be nutritionally well balanced and should be planned carefully. Whereas for adults maintenance of nutrients is required.
