Chicken thighs

A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health.

Better diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fiber and food energy. A healthy diet may contain fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and may include little to no ultra-processed foods or sweetened beverages.

The requirements for a healthy diet can be met from a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods, although additional sources of vitamin B12 are needed for those following a vegan diet. Various nutrition guides are published by medical and governmental institutions to educate individuals on what they should be eating to be healthy.

Advertising may drive preferences towards unhealthy foods. To reverse this trend, consumers should be informed, motivated and empowered to choose healthy diets. Nutrition facts labels are also mandatory in some countries to allow consumers to choose between foods based on the components relevant to health.

It is estimated that in 2023 40% of the world population couldn’t afford a healthy diet. The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization have formulated four core principles of what constitutes healthy diets.

According to these two organizations, health diets are:

Adequate, as they meet, without exceeding, our body’s energy and essential nutrient requirements in support of all the many body functions.
Diverse, as they include various nutritious foods within and across food groups to help secure the sufficient nutrients needed by our bodies.
Balanced, as they include energy from the three primary sources (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) in a balanced way and foster healthy weight, growth and activity, and to prevent disease.
Moderate, as they include only small quantities (or none) of foods that may have a negative impact on health, such as highly salty and sugary foods.

The benefits of a healthy dish

This garlic chicken and broccoli dinner is low in calories, but high in protein to keep you satisfied, a key combination if you’re trying to lose weight. The dish recipe uses only one baking sheet to make a complete meal, with a full serving of protein and plenty of roasted veggies. It can easily be doubled if you want leftovers the following day; just use two baking sheets instead of one, and rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

Active Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 4

6 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white miso
1½ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
6 cups large fresh broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Then whisk minced garlic, 2 tablespoons miso, 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon mirin and 1 tablespoon maple syrup together in a small bowl until a thin paste forms.
Toss 6 cups broccoli with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and ½ teaspoon pepper on the prepared baking sheet until well coated. Arrange 4 chicken thighs between the broccoli florets on the pan. Brush the tops of the thighs with miso-garlic mixture.
Roast until the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, toss the broccoli; continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of chicken registers at least 165°F, about 5 minutes more. Divide the chicken and broccoli among 4 plates; sprinkle with sliced scallions