Healthy food is the basic for a good healthy body. The growth and development of a human body are directly related to what he eats. A healthy body is more resistant to illness and also helps you to remain brisk and energetic throughout the day.  A healthy diet may vary according to the individual as it is based on a number of factors such as the living environment, job nature, heredity, etc.

Though most of us are aware of these facts, the painful truth is that for some reason or other majorities of us are unable to follow a consistently healthy diet. A recent study has disclosed a bitter truth that nearly one-forth of the total human population lacks good food and suffers from malnutrition. In contrast to this, developed countries are facing the problem of obesity.

What does a healthy food actually mean?

A healthy food is one which should be rich in all kind of nutrients and it should be delicious too. The main purpose of a healthy food is either to enhance or to sustain an optimum health. You cannot obtain the entire nutritional requirement from a selective food group. You have to consume all kinds of food to meet the energy requirement.

A healthy food should satisfy the following requirements

The food which you consume should meet the daily calorie requirement. It should neither be too low nor too excessive. It should be optimal. The average calorie requirement for a person is 2,000 calories. This may however slightly vary according to the age, sex, living environment, job nature etc.

An adequate amount of fat should be there in your food. The recommended level of fat in your food is 65-80 grams. The consumption of fat above the recommended level may lead to obesity. It is better to avoid foods containing saturated fat as too much consumption of it may lead to heart disorders.

Sufficient amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals are also essential for maintaining a good health. Try to include more fruits and vegetables should in your diet since they are good in nutritional value.

The food items which you should give most and least preference are arranged respectively.

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Cereals and Pulses
• Milk and Fish
• Poultry and Meat products

One thing which you should keep in mind is that medicines can cure only the symptoms. However, the source of disease which is mainly due to bad food habit can further evoke the disease and can make it more chronic and severe. On the other hand, a nutritional diet can eliminate the toxins accumulated in your body and also helps to re-establish the state of wellbeing. Once when you have realized the truth that food itself is a medicine, then following a well-balanced diet will be enough to lead a healthy diet.