Good Nutrition
As you probably know, your body needs a lot of things to stay strong and healthy. Things like good hygiene, nutritious food, and lots of water, are all very important because they ensure your body has all the stuff it needs to function the way it is supposed to. Without these basic things, you may become ill or unwell. Think about how tired and upset you feel when you miss a meal or when you eat too much candy. This happens because your body works best when you eat the right foods, at the right times.
When you are little, you can depend on your family to prepare healthy foods for you. But as you get older, you will have to start choosing and preparing your own meals. This is why you need to learn about good nutrition!
What is Nutrition?
Although this seems like a simple question, not many people know the right answer. Your nutrition is all the things you need to eat. Your diet is all the things you actually eat. So, if you have a poor diet your nutrition would not be very good. A good diet will have a lot of different ingredients, like fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy, and fats.
You will also eat a little sugar and salt too, but these are ingredients you should only eat a little, because they can make you feel ill if you eat too much.
Good Nutrition vs Bad Nutrition
So, what does a nutritious meal look like? An easy way to know if your meal is healthy is by looking at the colors on your plate. If you have a meal with brown rice, some crispy golden chicken, and a side of green peas, orange carrots, and yellow corn, you have a pretty balanced meal! The key here is variety and balance. Each of these ingredients add a different nutrient to your meal.
A meal that has poor nutrition will not have many colors or variety. For example, think about a fun meal like pizza. You eat it on special occasions, like birthday parties or as weekend treats. But a regular pepperoni pizza only has yellow cheese, red pepperonis, and a brown crust. There is not a lot of variety in this meal, so it is not very balanced. Since there are fewer ingredients in this meal, you also get less nutrients.
A Healthy Balance
There’s nothing wrong with having a fun meal from time to time! For example, it is fine to have a slice of cake on your birthday or a scoop of ice-cream on the weekend. These foods taste great and are a fun way to enjoy a meal with your friends and family. However, you should always try to have balance in your diet. There is a big difference between having ice-cream one day a week and having ice-cream seven days a week. Think about it, if you have a special meal every day, what makes it special? Remember, good nutrition comes from a balanced diet!
