A mix-and-match diet plan is designed to be adaptable so that the greatest variety of people possible can successfully incorporate it into their lives. There are few specifics; instead, dieters use guidelines and suggested meals to fill in the blanks with their own plans and come up with a template that works best for them.
Benefits
Mixing and matching diet suggestions while keeping health and balance as priorities allow you to choose favorite foods, create meals that will fit your schedule and budget and still enjoy nutritional benefits. According to MyPyramid.gov, including fresh fruits and vegetables of any kind in your diet is likely to reduce your risks of cancer, heart disease, bone loss, kidney stones, stroke and diabetes.
Features
Set diet plans that encourage flexibility have a few common guidelines. They prioritize proper nutrition and urge your to limit the amounts of added sugar, cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat and sodium that you eat, since those nutrients are potentially harmful and can raise your risk of disease. Mix-and-match diet plans also focus on including a variety of servings from the five core food groups: nonfat dairy, lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Application
A customizable diet plan is one that you create from an existing template. Find suggested plans in cookbooks, at fitness centers, online or in health- and food-related publications. From there, make your own weekly menu by choosing some meals from the template plan and using others as a guide point for your own ideas and changes. For example, change a meat-based stew to a vegetable stew, or use seasonal fruit to top a salad instead of crispy nuts.
Nutrition
Mix-and-match diet plans work best when substitutions allow for similar nutrients or overall better nutrition. For example, taking a "homemade pizza" suggestion from an existing meal plan and using it to create a pizza with whole-wheat crust and reduced-fat cheese as a topping improves the dish's nutritional profile. In other cases, it's helpful to switch out carbohydrates for other carbohydrates, proteins for proteins and fats for alternate healthy fats.
Considerations
Following an mix-and-match diet won't guarantee better health, weight loss or other positive results, especially if the plan is imbalanced or features restaurant food and processed products instead of whole, fresh foods. Consult your doctor before beginning any new eating plan to discuss the plan's details and your personal goals. The healthiest mix-and-match diets are able to successfully reduce disease risks and potentially help you lose weight because they are lifetime plans rather than just temporary fixes.
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