Lemon fish and potatoes: a recipe and information about healthy, balanced nutrition

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 carrots, cut into thin, short pieces
• 2 potatoes, cut into sticks
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 lemon, grated
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 200 gr broccoli
• A handful of spinach leaves
• 1 tea glass of peas
• 4 sea bass fillets

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Place the potatoes, carrots, lemon and thyme in a baking tray with oil and seasonings and bake for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, the broccoli is cooked in water for about 10 minutes, then the peas and spinach leaves are added. Once cooked, drain and puree, adding desired seasonings and lemon.

Lay the julienne-cut fish over the oven-cooked potatoes and carrots and return to the oven to cook.

Serve the cooked fish and vegetables with the vegetable puree. Enjoy..

Per serving, it contains:

• 344 calories
• 8 gr fat
• 32 gr carbohydrate
• 12 gr sugar
• 9 gr dietary fiber
• 34 gr protein.

Healthy, balanced nutrition

Nutrition is the intake and use of nutrients necessary for people to grow, develop and maintain good health and quality of life. Balanced nutrition means taking in and using every nutrient the body needs in sufficient or required amounts for development, growth and protection against disease.

One of today’s most common mistakes is a diet based on a single nutrient. Although our body may adapt to such a diet for a while, health problems arise in the long term. The most important point for balanced, healthy nutrition is that the diet should be sustainable and accessible. Another important point is to assess the food groups to be consumed according to the individual’s sex, physical activity, age, biochemical parameters and whether they have a disease.

In the daily eating plan, % 55-60 of energy should come from carbohydrates, %25-30 from fats and % 12-15 from proteins

If energy balance is not fully achieved, fatigue, weakness, vitamin deficiencies and many similar health problems will arise.

Proteins; amino acids make up proteins, which are the building blocks of our body. Essential amino acids are not produced in our body and must be obtained externally. These are lysine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan and valine. They are generally all found together in foods containing animal proteins, such as meat, milk and eggs. Plant proteins, such as legumes and grains, do not contain all of them together. They form part of enzymes and hormones that enable all biochemical activities in the human body. Therefore, the daily eating plan should include the meat group (2 portions a day), nuts, milk and yogurt, and the bread and grain group containing plant proteins.

Carbohydrates; serve as our body’s primary energy store. An important dietary point is to consume complex carbohydrates—brown bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, legumes and whole grains, vegetables and fruits—instead of simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and refined grains. With simple carbohydrates, we take in many calories despite eating little food and quickly become hungry because of sudden blood sugar fluctuations, whereas complex carbohydrate consumption avoids blood sugar fluctuations thanks to dietary fiber and roughage, and provides the amount of calories we need. For healthy nutrition, instead of consuming empty calories, vegetable and fruit intake should be at least 3-5 portions a day. Bread and grains should be consumed in 4-6 portions.

As for fats; the amount healthy individuals should consume is in the %25-30 range. Fats fall into two groups: saturated (unhealthy) and unsaturated (healthy). Saturated fats are generally animal-derived fats that are solid at room temperature. It is recommended that they not exceed % 10 of the daily eating plan, with %15 monounsaturated and % 10 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fats are known as plant oils and are liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fatty acids include:

• Omega-3 (fish such as salmon, anchovies and mackerel, flaxseed, canola oil, walnuts),
• Omega-6 (soybean, corn and sunflower oils), and 
• the monounsaturated fatty acid Omega-9 (olive oil, almond oil, avocado, sesame), making 3 groups.

Recommendations about fat consumption:

• Pay attention to the amount of oil added to dishes; when preparing 1 kg of vegetables, 2-3 tablespoons of oil will be sufficient.
• To maintain the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in salads, we should follow a 1:6 ratio and add 1 dessert spoon of olive oil.
• Additional fat should not be added to meat dishes.
• Fried foods should not be consumed, to avoid extra fat intake.
• Choose low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products.