What is a Balanced Diet

Balancing your meals can be tough. For a balanced diet requires you to eat all the nutrients in the right proportion to meet the requirements of your body. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals constitute the five main nutrients of the food. You get these nutrients from the food you eat. You need to know how to get the right amount of each -- either too little or too much can be harmful. When your body gets an adequate supply of these five nutrients in the right proportion, you are eating a balanced diet.

A balanced diet can be achieved by blending the different food groups: cereals and pulses, vegetables and fruits, milk and milk products and oils and fats.

Cereals & Pulses: Wheat and rice are the two commonly eaten portions of cereal. These should be taken in sufficient quantity as they are a rich source of protein and various other vitamins and minerals. 

Lentils, dals, and gram form the pulse group and are a rich source of protein, and Vitamin B complex. Complement pulses with cereals and your protein needs are taken care of. 

Vegetables & Fruits: Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, fenugreek, mustard leaves and other vegetables such as potato and lady finger should be consumed adequately. You get a lot of vitamin A, B and C, and minerals such as calcium and iron from these. No wonder, vegetables are considered to be a potent health tonic that keeps you healthy.

Like vegetables, eat fruits daily as they are concentrated sources of vitamin A, B, and C. Remember the childhood saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It's true.

Milk & milk products: Milk is one food that provides you with all the nutrients in a balanced proportion. So, you need to drink milk every day. Besides, consume milk products like paneer, that are rich in protein.

Fats & Oils: Fats are a concentrated source of energy for you and you should include both saturated and unsaturated fats in your diet. Though be careful to eat fats within limits, as an excess of these can be harmful.

Other foods such as meat, chicken, fish, and eggs provide you with an ample quantity of proteins, vitamins, and minerals such as iron. For a non-vegetarian diet, substitute the pulse group with the meat group but always prefer white meat over red meat.     

Nutrient requirements vary with age, gender, physical activity and thus there can be no one universal balanced diet. However, according to the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, a balanced diet should provide 60-70 percent of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably starch, about 10-12 percent from proteins and 20-25 percent from fat. Such a combination will give maximum efficiency to the organism as a whole. In addition, a balanced diet should provide other non-nutrients such as dietary fiber and antioxidants which result in positive health benefits.