Nutritious Salads Benefit Good Health

 

Nutritious Salads Essentials

Nutritious salads can provide the body with essential nutrition in a balanced diet eating the right combination of vegetables with lean proteins, Salads are considered a convenient nutritious meal served for any meal typically consumed as a lite lunch or dinner option. Micronutrients are nutrients used by an organism to grow then reproduce as dietary substances provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life. Micronutrient deficiency MND affects 2 billion people globally consisting of nearly 30 percent of the world population often resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, irreversible impairment to the physical and cognitive development of children, and substantial losses to individuals WHO 2014. Food Fortification in a globalized world 2018. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45-65 percent of your total daily calories consumed. This translates into 225-325 grams of healthy carbohydrates per day.

The top five healthy carbohydrates include Qunoria, oats, blueberries, roasted nuts, legumes that can be added to salads or consumed as a side dish. Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient found in many beverages and food options. Combining healthy carbohydrates to your salads can increase your physical energy helping you stay active. The Department of Agriculture suggests people who consume fresh vegetables are less likely to develop chronic health conditions including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Increasing nutritional uptake benefits the entire body helping you manage weight by eating foods that satisfy your hunger. Eating fresh salads packed with an abundance of vegetables high in fiber will stave off cravings for the wrong kinds of foods. The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% affecting 93 million US adults leading to estimated medical costs of 147 billion dollars to consumers. Healthy foods provide the body maximum nutrition naturally boosting immunity increasing endurance throughout the day.

Flavonoids found in disease-fighting foods regulate cellular activity fighting off free radical damage that causes oxidative stress on your body. The benefits of eating vegetables each day are enormous, providing the body with essential vitamins, minerals rich in antioxidants that protect your cells from oxidative damage. Lean protein is essential for regulating hormones and enzymes used in digestion along with other bodily chemicals helping you lose weight by eating well. Lean proteins used in fresh salads may include roasted chicken, beef, fish, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, and seeds depending on dietary preferences. Enjoy eating a salad for lunch or dinner as a low-calorie balanced meal suited for weight loss while improving health, boosting endurance, and physical activity.  Unfortunately, a healthy salad can pack on the pounds if you add too many high-calorie dressings, fried croutons, cheese, and side desserts without realizing it.  You are in control of the ingredients in your salad by eliminating or greatly reducing the amount of dressing consumed may save hundreds of calories per serving. 

Dress up your salad starting off with an abundance of leafy green and brightly colored vegetables topped with lean proteins topped off with 1-2 tablespoons of toasted nuts for crunch appeal.  Salad dressing on the side helps you control the amount of dressing consumed dipping portions of your salad in the dressing and eating nutritious foods helps you lose weight. Salads can be made in advance by combining a wide variety of dark leafy vegetables including spinach, kale with brightly colored carrots, beets, or red peppers topped with slices of lean roasted chicken topped with a drizzle of dressing consumed as a lite meal low in calories. Eating superfoods is the best way to enhance total body health and prevent a disease from forming in the body.  They have a synergistic effect on the immune system providing a sense of well-being both emotionally and physically by eating a clean diet. You are what you eat, consuming healthy food options is essential to a source of nutrition for the body used for optimal health.  Adding a variety of vegetables to your diet can promote weight loss suppressing the appetite with foods high in fiber and nutritional value benefits overall well-being.

Obesity is a global health problem affecting 35 % of the adult population. Studies suggest 12 percent of American adults meet the standard recommendations for consuming fruit and 9.3 percent meet the standard for eating vegetables. People are focused on eating healthy meals in 2023 consuming more salads in their diet benefits from high nutritional uptake.  

Carbohydrates are your body's main fuel source and provide the body with energy fuels for all of your activities for life. In the United States, most people fail to meet recommended dietary guidelines for not eating enough vegetables daily.  Federal guidelines recommend that adults eat 1 ½ to 2 servings of fruit per day and 2-3 cups of a variety of dark green and brightly colored vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern.  Leading causes of death in the United States are largely preventable chronic diseases due to poor nutrition.  Eating a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, fruits, and salad vegetables may help reduce the risks associated with diseases including obesity. 

Dark green vegetables in salads ensure beautiful hair and skin loaded with antioxidants zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and lutein high in flavonoids known to protect the body from disease. Most carbohydrates are found in plant-based foods including vegetables, grains, fruit, nuts, seeds, and beans consumed as naturally occurring carbohydrates lower on the glycemic index greater micronutrients. Salads can be topped off with a mix of sprouts packed full of micronutrients then drizzled with a healthy vinaigrette made by mixing olive oil with something acidic like lemon or vinegar to create a dressing.  The mixture can be enhanced with 2 cloves of minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper suited to your taste. Top the salad with brightly colored vegetables including red peppers, shredded carrots, tomatoes high in vitamin A, beta carotene vitamin C, fiber, manganese to promote heart health daily.  Lean proteins like 2 eggs, 3 ounces of chicken or 4 ounces of beef complement many salads providing the body with the building blocks to build bone, repair muscle tissue, cartilage, skin, and blood. 

Salads are a fantastic way to eat raw foods containing enzymes that boost digestion ultimately fighting chronic disease. Make a fresh salad using a variety of dark and colorful vegetables washed and spun dried to remove excess water. Place a serving of lettuce on a plate topped with green leafy vegetables of choice, spinach, broccoli, kale as a base for fresh salads packed with nutritional benefits. Load up on healthy salads eating a vast array of fresh vegetables combined with lean proteins and lite dressing on the side packed with nutrition to help manage weight successfully.

Cheers!

Patricia Lynn

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