5 Healthy Foods Which You Should Eat Only In Moderation

Eating in moderation can be healthy

Eating patterns begin right from your childhood. Healthy eating habits affect your overall health and well-being throughout your life. Eating a healthy and a balanced diet is very important. Do you need to eat only healthy foods all the time and every single day? Not necessary. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) suggests the idea of eating certain foods in moderation. This implies that it is acceptable to eat something that is not good for you as long as you only eat in small portions and not regularly. It is very important for us to maintain a healthy dietary pattern. For this we should focus on eating lots of healthy foods like fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, fish, nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains, seafood and low-fat dairy products. If you are following a healthy and a balanced diet, it is absolutely fine to grab a piece of cookie, French fries, or your favorite ice-cream once in a while. Also be very mindful of your portion sizes when you consume these foods.

Also read: 6 Healthy Foods That Might Be Stopping You From Losing Weight

Here are some foods which you can eat in moderation:

1. Tuna: Canned tuna is convenient and delicious; therefore can be easily added to your diet. Protein rich and high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, this fish can be added to sandwiches and salads for a healthy meal. However, when you should not eat too much of it as it accounts for high levels of mercury, which is particularly harmful for pregnant women because of the health risks it poses to the unborn baby.

2. Avocados: Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats; avocados help to improve skin and hair and also helps in lowering cholesterol. But you should not consume too many fats of this kind. Avocado has a surprisingly high calorie count, about 250 per fruit.

Avocados help to improve hair and skin to lower cholesterol
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Also read: Avocados: Top 9 Health Benefits You Must Know; Make Your Guacamole Now

3. Cheese: Along with most dairy products cheese is a good source of calcium and protein. It promotes healthy bone development and heart. However, eating melted cheese that goes into a pizza or pasta can have a negative effect on your health. You should ensure that you eat cheese in moderation. You can add a slice of cheese in your sandwiches or some grated cheese on your salads.

4. Chocolate: Dark chocolate is a sweet and turns out to be good for your overall health. Dark chocolate helps in lowering the risk of heart disease as they are filled with antioxidants and heart-healthy components. Make sure you go through the nutrition label when choosing a bar, because chocolates available in the supermarkets have too much sugar and calories.

Dark chocolate is a sweet but can be eaten once in a while
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5. Nuts: An extraordinary source of healthy fats, which helps in maintaining a healthy heart. Nuts have around 80 percent fat and are high in calories. Adding few nuts in your daily diet to replace unhealthy fats is fine, like sprinkle over healthy main dish salads or in the morning with milk. But eating too much can add unnecessary calories and will eventually cause health problems.

Nuts have around 80 percent fat and are high in calories
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Also read: 6 Healthy Foods That Are Rich In Iodine

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.