Eat a balanced diet: a healthy and junk food chart to get you informed

Do you need a healthy and junk food chart? Eating a balanced diet improved your physical and mental health. There are five primary groups of food: Grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, and beans (meat, fish, poultry, dry beans, eggs, nuts, and meat alternatives), and milk, including yogurt and cheese.

Each food group offers specific nutritional benefits. It is essential to consume foods from each group every day to maintain a balanced diet. A healthy and balanced diet contains different food items, offering macronutrients, including energy-providing nutrients, such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.

You can eat both healthy and junk food if you use an air fryer to prepare them. An air fryer uses hot air circulation technology to cook the food, reducing calories and fat content. So, it means you can eat burgers, fries, and other junk food without worrying about your health.

Whole Grains

Summary

Grains contain fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Health professionals recommend whole grains because they are the healthiest. Choose food items that list a whole grain as their primary ingredient with high-level fiber content. Whole-grain food items include oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole-grain crackers, whole wheat pasta, breakfast cereals, brown rice, barley, and plain popcorn.

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies offer carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. You must include fruits and vegetables in your healthy and junk food chart. Experts recommend eating five or more servings of fruits and veggies every day.

In addition, veggies are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron. These foods are low in saturated and Trans-fats but high in fiber. Health professionals advise people to consume dark leafy green vegetables.

Likewise, fruits are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Fruits are high in fiber and low in saturated fats. Whole and sliced fruits have higher levels of fiber than juice, making them a better choice for improved health.

Meat, Fish, and Beans

These provide proteins, B vitamins, and essential minerals. Choose dry beans and peas, poultry, fish, nuts, and high protein vegetarian alternatives more than meat. When you eat meat, make sure you choose lean cuts. Remove the skin from poultry to reduce saturated fat content.

Meat, fish, and beans also provide iron and zinc that play a crucial role in different body functions. These minerals build and repair muscles, tissues, and cells. Proteins, B vitamins, iron, and zinc also streamline the digestive process, boost immunity, and increase blood supply to different organs.

Milk

Milk is a rich source of calcium, but it also offers proteins, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin D. It promotes strong bones, muscles, and healthy teeth. Health professionals and dieticians recommend choosing plain low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products. Rice milk and calcium-fortified soy milk are alternatives for those who don’t drink milk.

Energy Requirements

An adult woman needs 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day, and an adult man needs 2,200 to 24,000 calories per day. You may need more if you have an active lifestyle. On the other hand, children, such as girls between the age of 9 and 13, need 1,600 calories per day. Boys in the same age group need 1,800 calories per day. If your child is moderately active, he may need 300 to 400 more calories each day.

Air Fry Cooking Chart

Ingredient	Amount	Preparation	Oil	Temperature (Fahrenheit)	Cooking Time
Vegetables
Beets	4 small or six large – about 2lbs	Whole	None	390 degrees	45-60 minutes
Broccoli	One head	Cut in one-inch florets	One tablespoon	390 degrees	10-12 minutes
Butternut squash	1/2lbs	Cut in one-inch pieces	One tablespoon	390 degrees	20-25 minutes
Cauliflower	one head	Cut in one-inch florets	Two tablespoon	390 degrees	15-20 minutes
Green beans	One bag or 12oz.	Trimmed	One tablespoon	390 degrees	8-10 minutes
Mushrooms	8oz.	Rinsed, cut in quarters	One tablespoon	390 degrees	7-9 minutes
Potatoes, russet	1lbs	Hand-cut fries, thick	½-2 tablespoons, canola	390 degrees	23-26 minutes
Poultry
Chicken breasts	Two breasts	Bone-in or boneless	Brushed with oil	375 degrees	25-35 minutes
Chicken thighs	Four thighs	Bone-in or boneless	Brushed with oil	390 degrees	22-28 minutes
Chicken wings	2lbs	Drumettes and flats	One tablespoon	390 degrees	22-26 minutes
Fish and Seafood
Lobster tails	Four tails	None	Brushed with oil	375 degrees	12–15 minutes
Crab cakes	Two cakes	None	Brushed with oil	350 degrees	12–15 minutes
Shrimp	16 large	Whole, peeled, tails on	One tablespoon	390 degrees	7–10 minutes
Salmon fillets	Two fillets	None	Brushed with oil	390 degrees	10–13 minutes
Beef
Steaks	Two steaks	Whole	None	390 degrees	10–20 minutes
Burgers	Four quarter-pound patties	One inch thick	None	375 degrees	8-10 minutes
Frozen Foods
Chicken nuggets	One box or 12oz.	None	None	390 degrees	10-13 minutes
Chicken cutlets	Five cutlets	None	None	390 degrees	18-20 minutes
Fish fillets	One box	None	None	390 degrees	14-16 minutes
French fries	1-lb	None	None	390 degrees	20-25 minutes
Fish sticks	18 fish sticks	None	None	360 degrees	10-13 minutes
Mozzarella sticks	One box	None	None	375 degrees	8-10 minutes