It can be perceived as a jungle to know which food is healthy and good for you – for real. Here are 10 food groups that according to the research are good for you and that you should include in your diet every week.
Some foods are marketed as healthy without the support of the research. Then there are good foods that are raised to the skies but which are not really better than others. Here you can read which foods are particularly nutritious and ensure that you get a good nutritional intake. You do not need to get into all food groups every day, but preferably every week!
Root fruits
A really good source of carbohydrates! It contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Vary between carrot, parsnip, potatoes, root celery, cabbage root, beetroot, peas, black root, sweet potato, and radish.
Fruits and berries
Full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fits perfectly as a snack or after a main meal if you are sweet. Never be afraid of the sugar in fruit as all the nutrients it contains outweigh the small amount of sugar in the raw!
Vegetables
Perfect to fill the plate with if you have difficulty holding the weight. Vegetables saturate and provide us with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Avocado is counted in this group and is rich in healthy fats. A high vegetable intake reduces the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Eat at least 500 grams a day from vegetables, fruits, berries and root vegetables. Potatoes are not included in this recommendation but are good to eat anyway – preferably in cooked form.
Cereals and whole grains: Full of fiber and whole grains. Fibers help regulate our blood fats, are good for our stomach function, and are also food for our good gut bacteria. Whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and certain cancers.
Legumes
Another good carbohydrate source that is also rich in protein. Contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals. If you want to reduce your carbohydrate intake for any reason, you should at least have beans, lentils, and peas. Read more about legumes and protein quality here!
Fish
Fish contains EPA and DHA belonging to the omega-3 family. We cannot make these fatty acids ourselves in the body and together with omega-6 found in vegetable oils and nuts regulate blood pressure, kidney function, and immune system. Eating very polyunsaturated fats will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the most common cause of death in the western world. Fat fish is also a good source of vitamin D.
Vegetable oils
It contains omega-6 and to some extent omega-3. Use sparingly as oils contain 100% fat and thus yield 9 kcal per gram. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are heat sensitive and if used for frying, low temperature should be applied.
Natural nuts: Full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. Here, too, one should pay attention to the crowd. Stick to 5-10 nuts per occasion. If, on the other hand, you want to gain weight, nuts are a food group that you like to eat a lot of.
Eggs
Contains high-quality protein and vitamin D. Most of the egg’s nutrients including almost half of the protein are in the egg yolk so preferably eat the whole egg.
Dairy products: This includes milk, yogurt, fil, cottage cheese, and millet. Rich in protein, calcium and some vitamin D. It is perfectly ok to eat “full fat” products but think about the amount.
A high fat content automatically gives a high-calorie content. A lower fat content contains more calcium and vitamin D, partly due to the enrichment of lighter dairy products.
Of course, if it’s one of those foods you can’t or don’t want to eat for a variety of reasons, you can get enough nutrition anyway. The more of the above foods you opt-out, the more you need to be able to learn about nutrition to know which other foods will be important instead. As long as you are not allergic to anything, it is absolutely best for health to eat varied by these food groups.