What is a Balanced Diet and Why It is Necessary? Our body requires different nutrients to function properly. Without all essential nutrients, It will become weak and prone to many diseases. A diet that contains all essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals is known as a balanced diet. A balanced diet contains various vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, and many other food items. Proteins, lipids (fats), minerals, water, carbohydrates, and vitamins are types of essential nutrients for survival. Some of the above-mentioned are macronutrients that provide energy. Some are micronutrients. Macronutrients are required in small amounts while micronutrients are required in high amounts.
Why Balanced Diet is Important? A balanced diet is important to provide all the essential nutrients to our body. without proper nutrition, our tissues and organs will not work properly. A poor diet will slow down the growth process of children. Poor growth means poor performance. A poor diet can cause obesity and diabetes
5 Food Groups: A healthy balanced diet comes from these 5 food groups. ● Vegetables ● Grains ● Dairy ● Fruits ● Protein
Vegetables: A variety of vegetables should be chosen to get enough nutrients from the vegetables. Here are five groups from which you should choose vegetables. ● Leafy greens ● Starchy vegetables ● Beans and peas ● Red or orange vegetables ● Zucchini or eggplant
Fruits: Fruits are an essential part of a balanced diet. Eat whole fruits instead of getting nutrients from the juice. Fruits contain more nutrients than juice.
Grains: There are two subgroups of grains � Whole grains � Refined grains Bran, endosperm, and germ are the 3 important parts of the grains that are present in whole grains. Whole grains contain a good amount of protein and fiber. Refined grains don’t contain the above-mentioned three components. They are also low in fiber and protein.
Healthy whole grains include: ● ● ● ● ●
Quinoa Brown rice Buckwheat Oats Barley
Protein: Nutrient-dense protein should be part of your daily diet. The best source is to eat lean meat or you can consume bone broth that is rich in many nutrients. Read Benefits of Bone Broth. Here is what you can consume to get a good amount of protein. ● Lean beef, mutton, or pork. ● Fish ● Turkey and chicken ● Legumes, peas, and beans
Dairy: Dairy products are a good source of calcium. Consume low-fat versions of dairy products to get a good amount of calcium and healthy bones. Here are some of the low-fat dairy products: ● Cottage cheese or ricotta ● Yogurt ● Soy milk ● Low-fat milk
Consume these food products and stay healthy by following a balanced diet. Visit ​Best Food Blogs​ for more.