Combining the food groups ensures your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to function correctly. It also cuts down the number of times you would normally need to eat a day, as well as the number of meals. Incorporating all basic food groups in meals can greatly improve your health, including lowering your blood pressure, according to MayoClinic.com. There are several ways you can combine these groups and still have nutritious and tasty meals.
Step 1
Make a yummy and nutritious soup by combining legumes, such as lentils, with vegetables, such as carrots, leeks, celery, corn and spinach, in a blender. Add a tomato and water or stock base and grains, such as barley or buckwheat. Finish it off with a few select cuts of chicken or beef, and top it with a dollop of creme. Have a few pieces of fruit after to help aid digestion.
Step 2
Make a wonderful granola treat using fruit, nuts and dairy. Add oats and crumbled wheat toast to a dessert cup. Scoop out a serving size of yogurt, top with fresh fruit, then layer again. Sprinkle crushed nuts on top.
Step 3
Make a more nutritious spaghetti. Whole-wheat noodles are considered complex carbohydrates. Add chicken or lean beef to the sauce base, which can contain blended herbs, chopped carrots, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and zucchini. This is as a way to combine the meat with the vegetables and fruit -- tomatoes. Sprinkle cheese of your choice on top to incorporate the dairy.
Step 4
Plan meals that contain many food groups. For instance, a breakfast can include eggs, toast, a glass of milk, fresh fruit and oats mixed with nuts. A lunch can contain a green, leafy salad with shredded cucumber, carrots and olives, topped with salmon and sunflower seeds, eaten alongside soup and whole-wheat toast. An ideal dinner could include a portion of meat, brown rice and steamed vegetables and garlic bread.
Tips and Warnings
- If you do not have a blender, you can cook the foods down as much as possible and use a potato masher to mash them down while slowly pouring in the stock.
Things You'll Need
- Blender
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