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A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development.
Alternative NamesWell-balanced diet
FunctionA well-balanced diet provides enough energy and nutrition for optimal growth and development.
Food SourcesMilk group (dairy products)
- Cheese: fat-free or reduced-fat (1%)
- Milk or buttermilk: fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%)
- Yogurt: fat-free or low-fat, regular or frozen
Meat and beans group
- Legumes (including beans, lentils, peas, and split peas)
- Meat (beef, pork, poultry with skin removed, game meats, fish, shellfish): select lean cuts; trim away visible fat; broil, roast, or poach
- Nuts and seeds (including almonds, hazelnuts, mixed nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, walnuts)
- Tofu, tempeh, and other soy-protein products
Fruit group
- Apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, dates, grapes, grapefruit, mangos, melons, oranges, peaches, pineapples, raisins and other unsweetened dried fruits, tangerines
- 100% fruit juice
Vegetable group
- Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, collard and other greens, cucumbers, green beans, kale, lettuces, potatoes, radishes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
- 100% vegetable juice
Grain group (breads and cereals)
- Enriched, whole-grain breads, rolls, English muffins, bagels, cereals (hot and cold), and pasta
- Grits
- Rice
Oil
- Light or low-fat salad dressing
- Low-fat mayonnaise
- Vegetable oil
An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of:
- Body tissues
- Brain and nervous system function
- Growth and development
It can also cause problems with bone and muscle systems.
RecommendationsThe term "balanced" simply means that a diet meets your nutritional needs while not providing too much of any nutrients. To achieve a balanced diet, you must eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups. You will need to know:
- How many calories you should consume every day
- What size portions you should eat. Too much of a healthy food may no longer be healthy
- Which are the healthy choices from each food group
There are several guidelines available to help you plan your balanced diet. They include:
- The Food Guide Pyramid
- The U.S. Dietary Guidelines (RDA guidelines)
General Guidelines
- Do not skip breakfast
- Eat at least three meals each day
- Eat foods from each of the food groups at every meal
The most important step to eating a balanced diet is to educate yourself about what your body needs, and to read the nutrition label and ingredients of all the food you eat.
New dietary guidelines from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) recommend fewer calories and smarter food choices. Some of the key recommendations:
- Follow a balanced diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan.
- Balance your calorie intake with exercise. Slowly decrease the amount of calories you take in while increasing exercise to prevent gradual weight gain over time. Exercise regularly and reduce activities in which you sit (such as watching TV).
- Eat 2 cups (4 servings) of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables (5 servings) per day for an average 2,000-calorie per day diet.
- Eat 3 ounces or more of whole-grain products per day.
- Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products.
- Get fewer than 7% of calories from saturated fatty acids.
- Avoid trans fatty acids, which are unhealthy fats. They are found in fried foods, commercial baked goods such as donuts, cookies, and crackers, in processed foods, and in margarines.
- Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg/day.
- Make total fat intake no more than 20 - 35% of calories. Choose "good" fats such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils containing polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Lean, low-fat, or fat-free meats, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products are preferable. Total fat intake can approach 35% if most of the fats are "good" fats.
- Stay away from added sugars.
- Consume fewer than 2,300 mg (approximately one teaspoon of salt) of sodium daily, and limit added salt when you prepare food.
- Do not consume more than 1 alcoholic drink per day for women, 2 per day for men. Certain people should not drink any alcohol.
- Read nutrition labels on all foods. This will help you know what kind of fats, and how much, the food contains.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans - 2005. Washington, DC. US Dept of Health and Human Services and US Dept of Agriculture; 2005.
American Heart Association Nutrition Committee: Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Brands M, Carnetho M, Daniels S, et al. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006;114(1):82-96.
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Balanced diet means we should eat all the green vegetables along with fruits regularly. Balanced diet refers to balance our body with proper food items available near us.
soo friendss eat well, and be well
have a happy and healthy life :)
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A balanced diet chart for a 12 year old child should be made up of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. The recommended daily allowances are 33 percent carbohydrate, 33 percent vitamins and minerals, 12 percent meat protein, 15 percent milk protein and 7 percent fat and sugar.
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When you can that you are eating a balanced diet.
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A 12 year old child should be fed with food that is rich in calcium, protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. There are lots of food like fruits and vegetable, fish, corn and lean meat that provide these nutrients.
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not necessarily, all meals don't have to be balanced for the total diet to be balanced.
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when a person follows a wrong balanced diet. For example a diabetic following a normal person's balanced diet
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A balanced diet for Hermann's tortoise should consist of dark, leafy greens (such as kale, collard greens, and dandelion greens), a variety of vegetables (such as carrots, bell peppers, and squash), and occasional fruits (such as strawberries and apples). Additionally, providing calcium supplements and a source of protein (such as mealworms or boiled eggs) is recommended. Remember to offer a variety of foods to ensure your tortoise receives a well-rounded diet.
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we need balanced diet because to keep the energy in right amount so that our body can perform vital functions.
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Health should be your goal, not wieght. When you are eating a
well balanced diet and excersizing regularly you will be at your
ideal weight. A well balanced diet does not include diet foods,
diet foods are not well balanced as far as nutrition goes.
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Balanced diet is the diet which considers all the important aspects in a diet. Balanced diet affects the emotional health in a positive manner. It changes one's behavior and changes it all over.
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No, noodles are not a balanced diet. For information about the importance of a balanced diet, and what it consists of, see the page link, further down this page, listed under Related Questions.
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The website I and my family and friends use for balanced diet tips and information about balanced diets and diet plans is http://www.no-more-fat.com/
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it is important for your cells to have a balanced diet because you need to have a healthy body.
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Why are proteins an essential nutrient to include in a balanced diet?
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BALANCED DIET is a diet which comprises of all the nutrients( carbohydrate ,fats, minerals , vitamins , proteins ,roughage, water) that to in appropriate amount .IF a person does not take a balanced diet he will have the deficiency of the nutrient which is deficient in his diet . Hence in order to keep body healthy and away from diseases ,it is necessary to take balanced diet.
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Most cancer treatments center on taking drugs and undergoing radiation therapy to kill off cancerous cells. However, these medical procedures often deplete a person's body of nutrients and minerals needed for energy. In fact, chemotherapy patients sometimes become anemic and weak from their drug therapy. Eating a balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with proteins like red meat and legumes, helps people regain nutrients needed for energy. Energy helps people fight disease.
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A balanced diet is a term used to say one's diet is a good balance of nutrients. It is unknown whom it came from, or where.
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a balanced diet helps us to keep healthy,warm,nourished and alive
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a healthy balanced diet of fruit and veg like your horse/pony.
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lol, then u get weak , tired. and fat, THEN? U Need balanced diet to be healthy +)
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we have a balanced diet because if we don't have a balanced diet we could get certain diseases and can get fit
hope u like it
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Yes, but what is balanced for animals is different than what is balanced for people. For example, a house cat eats meat but no vegetables.
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You should eat correctly so you can be on a balanced diet, on a balanced diet you can be fir but if you don't you can get more overwieght.
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A balanced diet.
Also: a sound diet; a complete diet; a nourishing diet; a nutritious diet.
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It is important for a child to eat a balanced diet because now he is at a growing age . It means that his body needs all kinds of food for proper growth which are only present in balanced diet.
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A balanced diet is a common goal of men and women because the body needs certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals to sustain it. Choosing a balanced diet creates a healthy body.
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No, you need a balanced diet to get all the nutrients you need. See also:
Could you describe a balanced diet?
What features would a good weight-loss program have?
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I have read that there really is not many studies on which diet is best for fibromyalgia. I did find a site that says eating a balanced diet would help. This site has information on the balanced diet www.fibromyalgiadietandtreatment.com/.
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In a balanced diet 45-65% of the diet should come from carbohydrates, 20-35% of the diet should come from fats, and 10-35% of the diet should come from protein.
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A balanced diet needs lots of fibre and carbohydrates.
There are 7 main food groups which make up a balanced diet:
- Water
- Fibre dietary
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Minerals
- Vitamins
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