Cereals in the holistic diet

Cereals represent one of the most widely consumed foods in the world. They are often included in the food plans of many diets and play an important role in people's nutrition. As a plant, it is cultivated to obtain its grains. Among the most consumed are rice, corn and wheat.

It is considered by many experts as the main source of energy for the body. Having said all this, we will go into the study of the main characteristics that make them one of the most demanded products in diets. We will see in detail the benefits they bring to our health and how we can include them in our diet plans.

Benefits of cereal consumption

As we said before, cereals are a very important source of energy, because they are essentially composed of carbohydrates, allowing us to perform successfully in our daily activities, meeting the energy demands of the body. They have considerable amounts of vitamins and minerals, essential for the correct functioning of our body processes.

The high presence of fiber contributes to their consideration as a digestive food, which prevents the human body from periods of constipation. Many cereals are usually rich in protein and B vitamins.

Cereals in Holistic Nutrition

This food has stood out for being one of the most defended in Holistic Nutrition, especially those whose philosophy is against the consumption of meat. Many movements of people defending the animals, state that cereals are the natural substitute to meat as food. In addition to defending the life and rights of animals, they base their philosophy on economic aspects.

The costs of feeding a population based on cereals and vegan food are much lower than doing it with animal food. Such is the case that several international organizations have defended the point that cereals are the clearest answer to the problems of lack of food on the planet. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has carried out numerous studies to demonstrate that a vegetarian alternative, strongly based on cereals, would allow maintaining a well-fed world population, in a sustainable way and at low costs.

The truth is that they are a very economical, accessible and nutrient-rich food. So, regardless of whether or not you are an advocate of these arguments, you should consider including them in your dietary plans.

Recommendations

It is recommended to consume an average of 10 servings a day, which would be about 5 bowls of rice approximately. The consumption of pasta can be limited to once or twice a week. Sweets and industrial bakery in general is not a healthy food, and although in many occasions many cereals are used in its elaboration, this type of food is not healthy.

You should try to get cereals in their purest state, the more treatments and additives they have, the less healthy and lacking in nutrients they tend to be.

Some cereals such as wheat may have high gluten content, it is important to avoid consuming them if you are allergic to gluten. If this is your case, try to consult a specialist who can provide you with alternatives to these.

Each cereal has its own particular characteristics. For example, amaranth is rich in minerals such as magnesium, wheat is very rich in B vitamins, oats provide important levels of protein and minerals such as zinc. If you can combine them during the week, you will be sure to be accessing important and very necessary nutrients for your body.