Balanced Diet Plan

Avoiding eating specific food which is harmful to our body say, junk food, does not imply that you are following a balanced diet. A balanced diet plan enables you to obtain all the necessary nutrients that are required for the proper functioning of your body, through a wide range of foods which can be relished in balanced amounts. In this article, three different balanced diet plans are discussed which will be helpful for children, women and also for those wanting to lose weight. These diet plans include all the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins which keep you healthy and fit. The nutritional requirements are different in each case, depending upon the age, sex, height and weight of an individual. A balanced diet plan should meet the specific daily calorie requirements of the person.

Balanced Diet Menu
Here are some examples of food items which should be included in a balanced diet menu.

1. Whole Grain Foods: Food like whole grain toast, pasta, cereal, oats and corn which are rich in vitamin B and carbohydrates, provide essential calories to the body.
2. Dairy Products: Milk, yogurt, cheese and nuts are a good source of calcium and proteins.
3. Fruits and Vegetables: Cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, leafy green vegetables, oranges, bananas and almost all vegetables and fruits are rich in iron, calcium, vitamins and minerals.
4. Sweets: Jaggery, sugar and sweets, containing fats are useful when they are consumed in balanced amounts. They help in generating energy.
5. Poultry, Fish, Meat and Pulses: Peas, lentils, beans, nuts, meat, fish and eggs are rich in lean proteins which supply the essential amino acids, required for the proper functioning of the body systems.

Balanced Diet for Children
Always plan and prepare meals in such a way that your children eat more willingly. Involve them in making the decisions. Try baking, roasting or poaching the food, instead of frying. Level of fat and added sugar should always be limited.

Type of Food	Examples	Quantity per Serve	Per Day Servings
Dairy Products	Milk, yogurt, cheese	milk-200ml, yogurt-150gm, cheese-40gm	2-4 serves per day
Fruits	Banana, apple, sweet Lime	1 glass juice/1 piece	2-3 serves per day.
Vegetables	Broccoli, spinach, cabbage, salad	150 gm	3-4 serves per day
Lean Proteins	Fish, meat, eggs, chicken, dried beans and lentils	1 piece or ¾ cup of cooked beans or lentils	1-2 seves per day
Whole Grain Food	Cereal, pasta, bread	cereal/pasta/cooked rice or noodles - 1 cup, bread - 2 slices	4-5 serves per day

Balanced Diet for Women
These days, women have to work at home and at office. Although men help them a lot, raising children, taking care of the family, looking after a sick family member, etc., involves tremendous efforts and hard work. Women are more emotional by nature and they undergo physical and psychological changes during the different phases of their lives. They have to deal with these changes, physically and mentally. Pregnancy is a significant stage, when a balanced diet is of extreme importance, as it helps cope up with the changes in the body. A woman can give birth to another healthy human being, if she herself is healthy and fit. Diet does not mean starving and becoming thin. Here are a few diet tips to become fit. Women should enjoy a healthy lifestyle. The diet should make women feel more energetic and lively.

Type of Food	Examples	Quantity Required Per Day	Effects
Vitamin Rich Food	Fruits and vegetables	75mg vitamin C, 15mg vitamin E, 5-10 mcg vitamin D, 700mcg vitamin A	Overall growth and maintained health
Fiber Rich Food	High fiber fruits and vegetables like avocados, peers and apples with skin and corn, potatoes with skin, carrot, cereals like bran, oat, whole wheat, root vegetables etc.	21-25 gm	Sugar levels in bloodstream are kept normal, helps in digestion of food, reduces the risk of cancer
Bone Builders	Skim milk, cheese, yogurt	1000 to 1500mgm	Reduces the risk of 'osteoporosis', biggest common threat to women, keeps the bones strong
Iron rich food	Beet root, peas, soybeans, cooked spinach, asparagus and other vegetables high in iron, red meat, almonds, date, fenugreek, oysters, fig etc.	18-27 mg	Recovers the loss due to menstruation, regulation of cell growth and body metabolism, increase in immunity.

During pregnancy, the quantity of the required nutrients will naturally increase. Taking into consideration your own needs, you should choose and stick to a specific balanced diet chart.

Balanced Diet for Weight Loss
A healthy and balanced diet helps lose weight. A balanced diet helps deal with those extra pounds which create health complications and destroy your looks. Drinking plenty of water promotes fast weight loss. There exist various crash diets to lose weight fast like cabbage soup diet, chicken soup diet, lemonade diet, etc. You should lower your calorie intake slowly. The choice of food and its proportion play an important role in reducing weight. Balance, moderation and variation are the three basic concepts in a balanced diet. According to most health professionals, an intake consisting of 55-65% carbohydrates, 10-15% proteins and 25-30% fats can be called balanced intake. The intake of 'fat and cholesterol' should be restricted. You should have meals, at least 3-5 times per day. To obtain all the necessary nutrients for good health, you should have a variety of food items so that sufficient vitamins and minerals are provided to the body. Here is an overview of the balanced diet.

Type of Foods	Examples	Servings per Day
Fruits and Vegetables	Fresh, frozen, canned, dried fruits and vegetables along with pulses, beans and lentils	5 portions (1 portion is approximately equal to the size of a deck of cards, weighing around 3 ounces) a day
Bread, cereals and potatoes	Pasta, noodles, rice, oats, breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes	2 portions a day
Dairy Foods	Milk, yogurt, cheese	1/2 to1 cup/bowl twice per day
Meat, fish, chicken and eggs	fat trimmed meat and chicken, lower fat versions of food items containing meat or chicken or fish, tofu, kidney beans	1-2 portions twice a day
Food containing high level of fat or sugar	cream, butter, mayonnaise, crisp, fried food items, chocolates, pastries, jams, biscuits, ice-creams	very small/negligible quantity advised
Food with unsaturated fat	food with olive, sunflower or corn oil	1 portion twice a day

If you combine these weight loss diets with adequate and regular exercises, this can increase the metabolism of the body, resulting in expected weight loss. Eat and enjoy 5 to 6 smaller meals, rather than 3 big meals in a day. Whatever calories are generated, should be burnt so as to avoid weight gain. There is no miracle diet as such. You can have various food items and various combinations of foods daily. If you follow the proper guidelines regularly, you will definitely succeed in losing weight.

You must have noticed that a balanced diet plan is not about depriving yourself of the delicious food you love. It is rather 'smart eating', helping you to feel energetic, lively, fresh and fit, following some strict philosophies of nutrition. You have to learn some basics of nutrition to follow the path of 'smart eating'. You need to incorporate the basic principles of nutrition in a way which will be appropriate, suitable and easy for you. Smart eating helps lead a happy and healthy life.