Healthy food choices for every meal

Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamins, mineral substances, dietary fibers and plant chemicals. Plentiful intake of fruits and vegetables can improve or prevent the problems associated with obesity, effectively reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, and also help prevent cancers of the digestive tract, such as esophageal, gastric and colon cancers.

Keep fruits within easy reach for family members, and an intake of 200 to 350 grams per day is recommended. Freshness is the most important quality while choosing fruits, which are high in water content and rich in nutrients, and thus good for human health. 

One easy way to diversify your food is to choose different colored vegetables. You should have vegetables for each meal and eat no less than 300 grams per day, half of which should be dark-colored vegetables.

 

There are many types of vegetables available at markets, including root vegetables, leafy vegetables, and fresh beans. Different vegetables have different benefits. You should eat at least 3 to 5 types of vegetables a day, and there should be at least 2 vegetable dishes for lunch and dinner respectively. 

Additionally, you should eat at least one to two types of fruits a day. Seasonal fruits should be the first option.

 

Drink more than 300ml of milk a day.

A glass of milk for breakfast (200-250ml) and a pot of yogurt for lunch (100-125ml).

Parents should help their children develop the habit of drinking milk and yogurt, eating cheese and other dairy products. 

 

Fish, poultry, eggs and lean meat can provide quality protein and a variety of micronutrients needed by the human body, but should be consumed moderately. The recommended amount for adults is 120-200 grams per day. Fish, shrimp and other aquatic food are the first option because they have relatively low fat content and more unsaturated fatty acids, which can prevent dyslipidemia and cerebral apoplexy. It is better to eat fish twice a week. Eat eggs without discarding the yolk.

 

Eat whole grain in at least one meal.

Whole grain keeps all components of natural grain, providing more B group vitamins, mineral substances, dietary fibers and other nutritional ingredients. You should include whole grain in at least one meal. For example, eat millet porridge, oat meal and eight-ingredient porridge for breakfast; add corn flour or whole-wheat flour to wheat flour or add brown rice and oats to rice for lunch and supper. 

Take a mixture of Adzuki beans, mung beans and pinto beans.

Mixed beans can be eaten together with staple food, playing their role of balancing the nutrition of dietary fibers, Vitamin B, kalium and magnesium. 

 

Nuts contain higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and other nutrients, and appropriate intake is beneficial to one's health. Since nuts are high in fat, excessive consumption can easily lead to excess energy. The recommeded daily consumption of nuts is around 10 grams.