Balanced diet: what is it?

To contact us Click HERE

Balanced diet is a meal that contain all the necessary nutrients in correct amounts. It is important to have good eating habits. Then only we can have a healthy life. Better understanding of food and nutrition is a crucial factor towards healthy eating behavior.

Your diet should contain correct amount of protein that is needed every day. A normal adult should eat about 1g of protein for every kg of body weight per day. For example; a 70kg man should eat about 70g protein per day. This proteins can be obtained from meat, fish, eggs and beans. You should eat protein containing foods every day, preferably with every meals.



A healthy diet will contain moderate amount of carbohydrates. Carbs are the main source of energy. About 50-60% of the calorie need should be obtained from carbohydrates. Bread, rice noodles and potatoes are the main carbohydrate containing foods. Do not eat too much carbs to fill your stomach. Consumption of excess amount of carbohydrates is linked to the development of obesity and diabetes.

The fat content of your meals should depend on the energy need. About 20-30% of the energy should be obtained from fat. However, it is not recommended to eat lots of saturated fat because it will increase the bad cholesterol levels. Eat more essential fats such as mono and poly unsaturated fats. Omega 3 fats are good for your heart.

Your diet should have all necessary vitamins.

Vitamin A: This is found in meat, fish,eggs, fruits and vegetables. This vitamin is essential for vision, immunity and healthy skin.

B vitamins: These are water soluble vitamins mainly found in cereals, beans and vegetables. You should eat these foods everyday because these vitamins cannot be stored in the body.

Vitamin C content of the your food is specially important. Vitamin C is important for the skin, bones and immunity. this vitamin also cannot be stored in the body for long periods. So it is important to eat fruits such as orange, banana, and grapes everyday. Eat at least one type of fruit with every meal.

Vitamin D is mainly obtained from the Sun. Our body can produce enough vitamin D if we are exposed to UV radiation from the Sun. Only few foods contain vitamin D, so we are largely depend on the vitamin D production from the sunlight.

We should eat a balanced diet to get essential minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc and iodine. Iron is important for the production of haemoglobin in the blood which carries oxygen throughout the body. You can read about iron rich foods here.

Calcium is important for the bones and teeth. What should I eat to get calcium? Well! milk is the main source.

It is important to eat at least 30g of fiber each day. A diet without adequate amount of fiber is not a perfect diet. Fiber is important for good bowel movements. In addition, it help reduce body weight and cholesterol. Vegetables, fruits and cereals are the main sources of fiber.

Water should also be included in your foods. We should drink plenty of water. Remember just water, not fruit juice or coke.

In conclusion, in order to have a healthy meals, you should eat the correct amount of protein, carbs and fat. In addition, you should eat foods that contain all essential vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, your diet should contain adequate amount of calories and fiber. Finally you should drink enough water. So eat a balanced diet to have a healthy life.

Related posts:

What does iron do
Why do we need zinc