Recommendations for a balanced diet

We understand that a diet is balanced, when all food groups They are included in our diet covering individual daily needs. This type of feeding can be represented in a general way by means of the. Each country designs its own food pyramid based on its customs and culture. The food pyramid in our area has been taken as an example around the world because it represents both in quantity and quality, the ideal diet, we are talking about the Mediterranean diet. Must include: Milk and derivatives, Vegetables, Fruits, Meat / fish / eggs, Starches (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and legumes).

There are no good and bad foods. No single food can be considered beneficial or detrimental to health.

It is the frequency with which a food is present in the daily diet and its composition, which will define a more or less healthy profile.

Foods for preferential consumption (heart-healthy)

• It is recommended to use for cooking and flavoring food.
• Milk and derivatives preferably semi-skimmed, such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Greater consumption of fish than meat. Daily consumption of white or blue fish is recommended. White fish: hake, monkfish, sole, grouper, sea bream. Blue Fish: salmon, bonito, tuna, sardines, anchovies; shellfish and crustaceans: prawns, prawns, mussels, clams, cockles; cephalopods: octopus, squid, cuttlefish.
• Consume meat and poultry with Low fat: beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean cuts of pork, lean ham (cooked or salted), lean ground beef. It is recommended to remove visible fat from meat and chicken skin, even before cooking.
• Eggs: the ingestion of the egg yolk is recommended a maximum of three times per week. The consumption of egg whites is not limited, since it is an excellent source of protein.
• Fruit: All of them, taking into account that olives, avocado, coconut, and dried fruits contain a higher fat content.
• Vegetables: all (raw and cooked).
• Flours: preferably whole grains, such as: breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, legumes, rice, couscous.
• Consuming up to two glasses of red wine a day has a moderately protective vascular effect. This beneficial action disappears completely with a greater consumption of alcohol, since it acts negatively by directly injuring the heart and other organs (such as the liver).

Foods to avoid due to their high fat content

• Control the daily amount of oil.
• Eliminate butter, cream, margarine, mayonnaise, heavy cream etc.
• Avoid dairy products and whole derivatives.
• Avoid consuming high-fat cheeses (Roquefort, Emmental, Manchego, dry, cured and semi-cured in general and soft cheeses such as Torta del Casar, Camembert cheese, etc.)
• Avoid sausages such as chorizo, sobrasada, salami, mortadella, pork loin, bacon, sausages, sausage, patés.
• Limit the consumption of meats with a high fat content such as pork, lamb, chicken, goose, duck, commercial hamburgers, organ meats in general and animal offal.
• Avoid the consumption of prepared, frozen and / or precooked foods (with the exception of fish and vegetables).
• Olives, fatty snacks in general (chips, pizzotas, cheese snacks, etc.)
• Pastries: bakery and industrial (donuts, croissant, ensaimada, canes, conches, palm trees, packaged buns)
• Cocoa, chocolate or foods that contain it.
• High fat broth (as long as chicken carcass or skeleton, pork bones are used).

Healthy menu proposal

Breakfast

• Dairy products: low-fat yogurt, milk, or fresh cheese.
• Starches: bread or biscuits or breakfast cereals.
• Proteins: cooked ham or serrano ham or tuna

Midmorning

• 1 natural yogurt or 1 fruit

Meal

• Raw or cooked vegetables: choose between the following until reaching at least 250g in each meal: Salad, Escalibada (aubergine, pepper, tomato, onion), tomato, zucchini, celery, chard, cucumber, artichokes, carrots, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms Assorted, cauliflower, onion, chives, leek, gazpacho, radishes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage.
• Flours to choose between: Potato, sweet potato, rice, pasta, corn, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, white beans, peas, beans, soybeans), bread.
• Proteins: meat or fish / eggs or equivalent. A portion to choose between: lean cuts of veal, beef, horse, ostrich, chicken without skin, less frequent other more fatty meats such as lamb or pork, blue or white fish, tuna canned in natural or in olive oil, eggs, cuttlefish, octopus, squid, cooked or serrano ham without visible fat, fresh Burgos-type cheeses, or low-fat, tofu.
• Dessert: Fruit or dairy

Afternoon snack

• Natural yogurt or a fruit + cereals or bread with some low-fat accompaniment.

Dinner

Same as with food, making sure to include all food groups. Try to consume the vegetables raw, in salads at least once a day.