If you ask a woman which is the most stressful part of the day, the answer will invariably be the morning hours! Who has not faced the frenetic anxiety of getting everybody ready for school, college or work, and at the same time preparing breakfast and often, lunch for those leaving home for the day? In this chaotic lifestyle that urban Indian women are facing, there does not seem to be enough time to ensure proper nutrition for themselves and the family.

It is time to take a good look at your eating habits and modifying them to ensure that you are eating healthy.

Our main meals at a glance:

Breakfast:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, college going girls and working women tend to skip breakfast or make it a very small meal. This is a mistake. Energy levels drop very soon and by afternoon you will feel drained.

If the breakfast includes fibre and grain, you will be less hungry through the rest of the day. You will tend to snack less. Studies have shown clearly that a nutritious breakfast increases the ability to study and improves performance in the workplace. Oatmeal or ragi porridge, idlis, fruit and fruit juices are good breakfast choices. An egg provides an excellent source of protein. Milk is particularly important for girls and women in the childbearing years.

Lunch:

Always start lunch with a salad – a few sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a dash of lemon juice is tasty and provides you with antioxidants. Two small cups of cooked rice or 2-3 dry chapattis, vegetables and dal will provide a balanced meal. Meat or fish can be made in a gravy, or baked, not deep-fried.

Dinner:

Dinner, in contrast, should be a lighter meal. This would be a good time to have two dry chapattis with dal and a salad. Curds (yogurt) can be made with skim milk if you are concerned about calories.

Women tend to eat most of their calories at dinner. Unfortunately, all those calories that you have ingested at dinner have no way of being used up.