National Nutrition Week: 10 tips to Eat Right, Bite by Bite

Good nutrition is essential to overall health and well-being. A healthy, balanced diet that includes a range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants will help strengthen your immune system against infections and diseases. National Nutrition Week, which is celebrated every year from September 1-7, focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy habits. It also reminds us that every little bit or bite of nutrition is in the right direction. A good diet along with regular exercise will help you stay healthy and fit.

Perhaps, the novel coronavirus pandemic has made all of us vulnerable to infections. However, people with weakened immune systems may be more prone to frequent infections. They are also at a higher risk of developing severe illness from infections such as COVID-19. So, it is essential to make healthier habits that may help strengthen your immunity, such as including certain immune-boosting nutrients in your diet.

How to Eat Right, Bite by Bite

Our body needs all nutrients in the right proportion to live a quality life. According to Karthigaiselvi A, chief dietitian, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bangalore, our day to day meals must include whole grains like whole wheat, finger millets, foxtail millets, pearl millets, little millets which should be packed with B vitamins. It is essential to have a daily intake of seasonal vegetables and fruits as it supplies loads of immune-boosting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals for our body. Here are a few tips that can help you eat right, bite by bite:

Get enough protein - some of the foods rich in protein include pulses, low-fat milk, eggs, lean meat, poultry and milk products.

Incorporate more vegetables and fruits, moderate amount of cereals, pulses in your balanced diet to revive your immunity.

Include fish in your diet - fish is one of the functional foods that contain many properties and if you consume it in the right quantity. It contains essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals that can improve physical and mental health.

Limit intake of simple sweeteners like refined sugar, jaggery and honey.

Practice portion control which allows you to have a little bit of everything to meet your personalised daily targets.

Try to enjoy your flavours, textures in food by turning off the TV, phones and other devices as it avoids distraction and improves your relationship with food.

Hydrate your body with water instead of beverages with added sugars. Water helps your body to absorb nutrients, cushions your joints in addition to other benefits. Everyone must read the nutrition facts label on foods.

Decide your menu for the week - planning meals ahead of time will not only help you save time but also encourage healthier eating. Try sticking to your grocery list. Pack lunches and snacks to ensure that you’re eating healthy and getting the nutrition you like wherever you go.

Be mindful of the menu, when dining out, during the celebration. When you order food from outside and combine it with sugary drinks, it becomes challenging to meet your nutrition goals. Some hotels or restaurants will provide calorie information. You need to identify menu with low-salt, low-oil, or low-carb and avoid crunchy, crispy, battered, creamy, fried foods in other places without calorie information.

If you are travelling, plan your trip with healthful eating by including vegetables in every meal which provides satiety value.

Along with having the right nutritional food, it is important to practice hygiene and the right cooking method which will keep your stomach problems at bay.

Practice proper food safety at home as follows:

• Wash your hands and surfaces often
• Cook food at the right temperature
• Chill food by refrigerating promptly
• Separate foods to prevent cross-contamination

Getting enough nutrients as part of a varied, balanced diet along with other healthy lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, adequate sleep and low stress will help you live a healthy life.