How to make a healthy meal

How to M a Meal Healthier

The healthiest meals you can make are ones that you prepare from scratch using unprocessed foods such as vegetables and whole grains. If you don't have time to home-cook all of your meals, try to make healthy choices about the processed and prepared foods you do consume. Choosing baked or grilled foods over fried, drinking water instead of soda and sharing a dessert are just a few ways you can eat healthy while still eating well.

Steps

1. 1
   Make a meal healthy by using fresh, unprocessed foods.

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   • Choose ingredients located in the perimeter of your grocery store, where the produce, fresh meats and unprocessed foods are typically located. Make healthy meals by forgoing prepared boxed meals, which contain high amounts of unhealthy salt that can contribute to high blood pressure.
2. 2
   Bake, braise, broil or grill meats, fish and poultry. These are healthier cooking methods because fats drain away from the foods while they are cooking. Other healthy cooking benefits include less exposure to unhealthy cooking oil fat.
3. 3
   Replace refined sugar with healthier sugar alternatives. Sugar substitutes have a lower glycemic index than refined sugars which can increase your risk of getting diabetes.
   • Consider replacing sweet ingredients in recipes with natural, unprocessed alternatives such as agave, honey or mashed banana.
4. 4
   Substitute whole milk dairy products with low fat alternatives. Low fat dairy products help decrease your risk of high cholesterol and weight gain because you will consume less animal fat.
5. 5
   Practice making healthy choices at restaurants.
   • Consume less food when eating out by splitting your entree with a friend and sharing dessert.
   • Look for foods that haven't been fried and choose low-fat options when available.
6. 6
   Stop eating before your plate is empty. During a meal, a human being's brain takes about 20 minutes to realize the stomach has reached capacity. Put your fork down before your plate is cleaned and wait 20 minutes before looking at the dessert menu or eating the last bite on your plate.
7. 7
   Skip sweetened drinks such as soda, which have excessive amounts of sodium. Too much sodium contributes to calcium depletion and can potentially lead to osteoporosis.
8. 8
   Drink pure water or flavor it with fruit or mint.
9. 9
   Look for fruit juices that don't have sugars or additives.
10. 10
    Eat whole grains instead of their refined, process counterparts. Refined grains lack outer husk of a grain which contains the health benefits of fiber that helps cleanse the intestines and create a full sensation during a meal.
    • Choose brown rice instead of white.
    • Cook with whole oats, not instant.

    
    

Tips

• Eat healthiest by using dairy substitutes such as almond milk and tofu-based sour cream and cream cheese. These imitation dairy foods do not contain any animal fats, which are major contributor to coronary desease and obesity.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Meal-Healthier