Balanced Diet

By Simon Sperling

What is a Balanced Diet?

It is simply about balancing calories and the type of foods on your plate. This, combined with an active lifestyle is all you will ever need to reduce health risks and maintain or achieve a good body weight.
 

The good news is that you do not have to ban your favorite foods from your dining table. You only need to consume them in the right proportions.

Eat most: fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes and wholegrain. They should make up the bulk of the food you eat and these will provide good amount of energy, proteins, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. These foods pack a punch in terms of nutrients for each calorie they provide.

Opt for whole grain breads, brown rice, whole wheat pasta.

Dark green leafy vegetables for example, are the best source for
vitamins and minerals. Vitamin K for example is a star among the vitamins, providing enormous health benefits. But unfortunately most people do not get enough of it. So eat a few leaves of dark greens every day and you will do your body a great favor. Good examples are spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, arugula… add them to your salad or a stir fry, wrap them in your sandwich, or enhance a soup with them. It’s that easy.  

Also water consumption is very important, 6 -8 glasses each day is the recommendation for adults. Read again.. water! Not juices, soft drinks, coffee, alcoholic drinks. Simply water!

Eat these in moderation: fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken without skin, milk, cheeses and yoghurt. Eating a serving of meat, fish or eggs and three servings of dairy foods each day will provide protein, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and B vitamins.

Eat in small amounts: Sugars and fats! Also table salt has to be included here. These foods should be limited because they lack a good supply of the nutrients needed for growth, good health and quick energy. While small amounts of fats, oils and sugar are acceptable, larger amounts of these foods will cause an inadequately varied food intake. When choosing fats and oils it is better to choose the ones that have low levels of saturated fat and higher levels of omega -3 fats.

Choosing a wide variety of foods this way, will help you to consume all the nutrients and other good compounds that are needed for good health.

So when serving a meal,

• the ‘Eat Most’ foods should take up most space, up to a half of your plate
• the ‘Eat Moderately’ foods should take up a third or less of the plate
• the ‘Eat in Small Amounts’ foods should be present only in small amounts

Now you have an idea of what the balance of foods you need to choose for good health. And remember, in order to maintain body weight, food eaten always needs to be balanced with physical activity. But more about this soon.