Healthy Balanced Diet

What is a healthy balanced diet? It's neither fad diet nor a crash diet. A balanced diet entails adequate intake of all the essential nutrients required for a body.

A healthy balanced diet is required for children as well as adults. Diet plays a significant role to maintain health of an individual. A balanced diet is the one which entails adequate consumption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fibers. It involves intake of appropriate amounts of nutrients that are mainly obtained from vegetables, fruits and dairy products. The objectives of a balanced and healthy diet as recommended by the World Health Organization are:

To achieve a healthy weight and energy balance.

Elimination of trans fatty acids and saturated fats. Consumption of unsaturated fatty acids.

Intake of simple sugar should be limited.

Include a high amount of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains.

Intake iodized salt and limit consumption of sodium.

Essential amino acids and proteins should form a major part of diet.

Avoid consumption of food substances containing artificial preservatives and carcinogens.

Foods contaminated with human pathogen should be strictly avoided.

Limit intake of caffeine and alcohol

Inclusion of vitamins, minerals and fibers in diet.

Consume plenty of water.

So what's the balanced diet plan? Simply avoiding consumption of carbohydrates and fats doesn't imply you are on a balanced diet. You must know that carbohydrates and fats energize the body to perform activities. It allows you to remain active. People who are striving towards weight loss goals, should limit rather than curtailing them completely.

The balanced diet for children accentuates their growth with increasing age. It helps to strengthen their immune system and makes their body strong. In this article, you shall get the list of food that should be included under a balanced diet plan. Health nutritionists and dietitians suggest consumption of small meals in a gap of 3-4 hours, instead of devouring huge meals. A proper combination of fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy product will undoubtedly ensure a balanced diet. The healthy balanced diet for you is presented below.

Group 1: Vegetables and Pulses

Vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals. Pulses are a source of protein and mono unsaturated fatty acids, essential for body. You can consume boiled or cooked vegetables one or two bowls daily. For lunch you can have the following list of vegetables.

Lettuce

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Spinach

Tomato

Cabbage

Beans

Lentils

Bitter gourd

Lady's finger or okra

Carrot

Group 2: Fruits

Fruits are also a source of multivitamins and minerals. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. You can consume a fruit dish everyday for breakfast. They are also natural source of carbohydrates and fibers. Some of the most healthy fruits are enlisted below.

Apple

Orange

Grapes

Lime

Strawberries

Banana

Group 3: Dairy

Dairy products are not only rich in proteins but also in unsaturated fatty acids. A glass of skimmed milk is ideal for breakfast or before going to bed. Children can consume cream enriched milk. They are rich in calcium, required for health of bones and teeth. Some of the most nutritious dairy foods are:

Milk

Eggs

Cholesterol free butter

Cottage cheese

Tofu

Group 4: Grains and Cereals

Healthy balanced diet for women and men is extremely important and a balanced diet must contain adequate proportions of protein. Therefore, grains are consumed which are extremely rich in proteins. Cereals form an ideal source of carbohydrates. Pulses are rich in fatty acids. Whole grains contain nutritious substances like iron, magnesium and phosphorous that act as cofactors for the enzymatic activities inside the body. The examples are:

Wheat bread

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Pasta

Soya bean

Cereal

Corns

Group 5: Others

There are some other sources of proteins that play a vital role for body's metabolism. For example, a piece of chicken or fish is considered healthy for lunch. Nuts are extremely loaded with omega-3-essential fatty acids, a vital component for body. Here's the list.

Walnuts

Almonds

Peanuts

Chicken

Lean meat

Salmon

Tuna

Include all these foods in any time of your diet. Your healthy balanced diet should be devoid of carbonated drinks, alcohol and excessive caffeine. Plan out the healthy balanced diet chart and follow it accordingly. Drink at least 3 liters of water daily to cleanse your body internally. After all, your health is your wealth. Isn't it?