Just a few years ago, our knowledge of healthy foods was limited. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Nowadays, there is a wealth of research that allows us to create a balanced, nutritious menu of simple meals. After a while, you can adopt a healthy routine and create your own nutritious menu.
In this guide, we will explore what a nutritious menu actually is and what benefits nutritious whole foods have for your body. After that, we will analyze some tips that you can follow and mention the foods that you should always include in your weekly menu.
By the end of this read, you will also know how to quickly create a nutritious menu online via a top-notch menu creator. The process is very easy and you don’t need any graphics design expertise (or budget) to get started!
Shall we get into it?
What is a Nutritious Menu and Why is It Important for Your Health?
Starting with some basics, we can safely say that nutrition is nothing more than the efficiency of certain foods. In other words, a nutritious diet is a diet that is beneficial to our health. Of course, it is not easy to create such a food plan. There are many natural ingredients that our body needs. Therefore, our nutritious eating plan should keep a balance between certain foods that are rich in these ingredients.
Recent studies showcase that poor nutrition is directly linked to multiple chronic illnesses and diseases. Even if you think that that’s no news, you should know that many people underestimate or don’t know the benefits of good eating habits.
To be exact, healthy eating has multiple advantages:
- It decreases the risk of chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, etc)
- It strengthens the bones and boosts our muscles
- It improves our immunity and digestive systems
- It protects our skin, eyes and teeth
- It helps us avoid illnesses such as obesity
- Therefore, it helps us maintain a healthy weight
It becomes evident that a nutritious menu is a very beneficial choice. But, what should you keep in mind when you create your menu? And, moreover, which foods are absolutely necessary for a balanced diet? Let’s have a deeper look into the natural ingredients you should definitely include in a simple nutritious menu.
Creating a Menu With Natural Ingredients: Diet Tips and What to Eat
A balanced diet is full of natural ingredients that have all the benefits mentioned above. Foods like green and yellow vegetables are the best carriers of vitamins and nutrients. At the same time, chicken, beef and yogurt are some of the best ways to get lean protein. Other important aspects of a well-constructed nutritious menu include:
Collagen: Citric fruits, poultry and nuts are the main ways to make your body produce collagen.
Omega-3: Fish is the most common source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Zinc and Magnesium: Seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains are by far the best way to receive Zinc and Magnesium. These minerals are useful when it comes to strengthening our bones..
Calcium: Calcium is one of the most important energy sources. Multiple foods (including milk, cheese and beans) can help us retain the optimal calcium levels in our body.
What to Include in Your Nutritious Menu?
Creating a nutritious menu is easier than what you may think. With that in mind, and although variety is very important in a nutritious menu, there are some foods that are simply irreplaceable:
- Vegetables and fruits: Both vegetables and fruits are super-important for a clean-eating diet. You can opt for both fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits.
- Whole grains: Even though all whole grains will do the trick, oats, barley and quinoa are considered the best types.
- Healthy Fats: There are multiple ways to include healthy fats into your simple meals. For example, you can never go wrong with foods such as olive oil, avocados and oily fish like salmon.
- Seeds and nuts: These two food types should always be included in your weekly schedule. Seeds and nuts are very important for our health. All forms (raw, roasted, salted, etc) include the minerals you need.
- Legumes: Beans, soybeans, lentils and lupins are extremely beneficial as they include important proteins.
- Lean Protein: Meat like turkey, chicken and beef are high in lean proteins. Greek yogurt is also an excellent choice.
How to Create a Nutritious Menu for Every Day
If you follow the above tips and tricks, you will be able to quickly create a plan for your nutritious menu. Once you have everything prepared, all you have to do is visualize your thoughts
To do that, you will need the VistaCreate online menu planner. Do not worry, the process is quite simple. In just a few minutes you will have your nutritious menu ready. Let us just take a look at how you need to proceed:
1. Sign Up and Create a Project
After visiting the official VistaCreate web-based editor, you will need to sign up for a new account. Since you only need to create a nutritious menu, the free version of the editor is more than capable of handling your project.
Once you’ve signed up, you can use the search bar on the top of the homepage and search for “menu”.
The website will automatically generate a new project for you and you will be redirected to the app’s drag & drop editor.
2. Use a Premade Template to Fasten Up the Process
Even though VistaCreate allows you to create a menu from scratch, it is always easier to use a premade menu template. The app comes with thousands of templates that you can use for free. To find the templates, use the main editor menu on the left side of your screen.
Select the template that matches your preferences and start designing your nutritious menu.
3. Experiment With the Editor Tools and Create Your Menu
The editor allows you to edit every little detail in the premade template without any issues. From the main menu, you can add photos, graphics, text and much more. Gradually, your menu will look better and better. The process is very easy and you will have your weekly schedule ready in no time.
4. Export and Print Your Menu
After you have finished your design, all you have to do is download and print your menu. The good thing about VistaCreate is that it automatically saves your projects. Thus, creating your plan for the next week will be much easier. When you are satisfied with the result, click on the “Download” button at the top right of your screen.
Wrap Up
Just like that, you are ready to hang your unique, nutritious menu on the fridge! When you create your new weekly plan, you can take a look at all the tips and useful foods we presented in the first part of this guide.