When planning a meal, it is important to get a balance of the three major food types – protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Protein usually comes from meat or fish, but can also be from milk products including cheese, eggs and legumes (such as lentils and chick peas).
Carbohydrates are typically potatoes, pasta or rice, but can also be bread or other wheat products such as couscous.
Fats are often a part of the ingredients, as meat will often have fat with it, or it can be the cooking oil that is used in preparing the meal. Some fat will give more flavor to the meal, but too much will increase the amount of calories. Fats can be from animals or from plants.
In addition to these three main food types, it is necessary to eat food with a lot of fiber, such as raw vegetables and fruit. We also need a variety of minerals and vitamins from our food.
In future posts I will be looking at various ingredients that are typically used in dinner meals and looking at how they contribute to good nutrition. I will be looking at how we can vary our diet by increasing the variety of ingredients that are nutritious and tasty.