When it comes to healthier meal plans, most of us primarily focus on the things we shouldn’t eat rather than those we should. This essentially means that we all know the importance of staying away from cheeseburgers and sugary donuts. Yet, most of us do not have a clear idea of what to actually include in a health and nutrition plan.

As a general rule of thumb, consuming a healthy diet that includes items from all food groups is recommended. This will help ensure you’re getting all essential nutrients.

Also, make sure your daily diet includes the following foods.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is extracted from olives that are rich in polyphenols. These primarily serve as antioxidants. Some studies suggest that olive oil and the phenolic compounds in it have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

Extra virgin olive oil, in particular, is known for its nutritious value. Besides containing large amounts of beneficial fatty acids, it’s also a great source of vitamin E and K. Moreover, it can help to lower risk of strokes, protect you against heart diseases, and may even reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

You can use it as a salad dressing or for medium-heat cooking and mild pan-frying. It’s definitely the healthier option when compared to regular vegetable oils.

Vegetables of Different Colors

Most dietitians emphasize the importance of having different colors of vegetables on your plate to help you make the most of phytonutrients. These are beneficial plant compounds that can help lower the risk of several diseases.

Different-colored vegetables have different levels of specific nutrients. Therefore, the one way to balance your nutrient intake is to ensure that you’re eating a variety of colors that’ll help address different health-related issues.

Generally, plant-based meal plans are an excellent way to stay healthy. However, a balanced diet containing lean meat and other kinds of foods is great, too, as long as you’re consuming at least 2-4 cups of vegetables every day.

Lean Protein

Protein helps you develop and maintain muscle mass, so it’s definitely an important part of any healthy diet plan. But it’s highly recommended to make protein a part of every meal you eat to balance your sugar levels—especially when you’re eating carbs.

Moreover, experts suggest eating leaner varieties of meats and other foods that contain protein, such as eggs, lentils, soy, tofu, or peanut butter. A greater variety of protein sources will mean more types of essential nutrients and amino acids for the body.

These are some essential foods that should be a part of all meal plans; however, it’s important to realize that each body and its nutrient requirements are unique. This is why a customized meal plan is a great choice. You can get in touch with an online personal dietitian at xoxo4wellness for custom wellness plans, including plant-based diet meal plans, anti-inflammatory meal plans as well as low-FODMAP diet plans.

Give us a call for more information!