These are the five food groups that cannot be missing in a healthy diet

According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy lifestyle includes two essential habits: a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

First, a healthy diet helps protect humans from malnutrition in all its forms, as well as non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

“Throughout the world, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity are among the main risk factors for health”notes the WHO.

In its guidelines for healthy eating, the WHO recommends prioritizing the intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. In contrast, he suggests limiting your intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and sugars.

What foods cannot be missing in a healthy diet?

In line with the WHO guidelines, the MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia reiterates the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. In that sense, he notes that there are five main basic food groups that make up a healthy diet:

It is advisable to opt for whole grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain, while refined grains have the bran and germ removed. Whole grain foods have more fiber and protein than foods made from refined grains.

Some examples of whole grains are breads and pastas made with cornmeal, oatmeal, bulgur, farro, and whole wheat flour. For its part, white flour, white bread and white rice are examples of refined grains.

“Whole grains can help with weight loss, but portion sizes are still crucial. Because whole grains have more fiber and protein, they are more filling than refined grains. However, replacing vegetables with starches will cause a person to gain weight, even if they eat whole grains, ”says MedlinePlus.

Vegetables are classified into five subgroups based on their nutritional content:

Some benefits of eating vegetables include lowering the risk of developing heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.protection against some types of cancer, help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of kidney stones and help reduce bone loss.

Fruit consumption has traditionally been associated with a healthy life, however, it is preferable to consume whole fruits instead of just their juice, since in the latter way fiber content and other valuable nutrients are subtracted.

The consumption of dairy foods is important to improve bone health, especially during childhood and adolescence, when bone mass is being formed.

Protein foods include beef, poultry, shellfish, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds. For this case, experts suggest choosing meats that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, such as lean cuts of beef and skinless chicken or turkey.