How to Adopt a Healthy Nutritionally Balanced Diet

A well-balanced and nutritionally complete diet is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. Eating right helps provide all the essential nutrients for the body to function at its optimal level. ^{[1] X Trusted Source World Health Organization Go to source} In addition, a nutritionally balanced diet can strengthen the immune system, support healthy growth, support a healthy weight, and prevent many chronic diseases such as obesity or diabetes. ^{[2] X Trusted Source World Health Organization Go to the source} Adopting a nutritionally balanced diet is easier if you plan and prepare in advance, giving you the basics to stay healthy. maintain a healthy and happy life.

Table of Contents

Understanding a balanced diet

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Eat enough foods from the 5 food groups. This is the most essential element of a balanced diet. ^{[3] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to the source} Each food group provides the body with its own vitamins, minerals and many other essential nutrients.

You should add foods from the following 5 groups: protein, animal milk, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
In addition, it’s a good idea to add an extra source of healthy fats throughout the day. Although fats are not considered a food group, research has shown that consuming healthy fats (such as omega-3s) in moderation can support heart health. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Not consuming enough of the 5 food groups increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Not all nutrients are found in one particular food group, so you need to get foods from all five groups. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Eat a variety of foods in each food group. In addition to needing to include all 5 food groups, you also need to eat a variety of foods in each group.

Different foods provide different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. A diet that is not varied will limit the amount of nutrients tolerable. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
This is especially true for vegetables and fruits. These two food groups are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are good for health. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different types of antioxidants that support health in different ways. ^{[7] X Trusted Source American Heart Association Go to Source}
It is advisable to consume locally grown fruits and vegetables as they are grown in season and provide more vitamins and minerals.

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Add the right amount of calories. In addition to a varied diet and full of recommended nutrients, you should also balance your daily calorie intake.

Getting the right amount of calories for your age, activity level, and gender will help maintain a healthy weight. Too many or too few calories can lead to unintentional weight gain or loss. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
In general, women need about 1500 calories per day; Men need about 2000 calories per day. The amount of calories you need will vary depending on your age, gender, activity level, and overall health.
When you want to gain or lose weight, you should also add the appropriate amount of calories. Calorie levels that are too high and too low can both cause health problems. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Avoid extreme diets. Do not follow diets that instruct you to avoid or overconsume certain foods. Such a diet will cause you to overeat or lack a nutrient, leading to an unbalanced diet. ^{[10] X Research Source}

The low-carbohydrate diet focuses on avoiding or limiting the consumption of high-carbohydrate foods such as fruits, starchy vegetables, beans, whole grains, and dairy products. Restrictions on these food groups increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
A low-fat diet focuses on avoiding high-fat foods such as: high-fat meats, eggs, fatty fish, whole milk, butter or oils. While there are many benefits to limiting fat consumption, fat is also essential for the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A or D. ^{[12] X Research Source}
A high-protein diet focuses on consuming foods high in protein such as: poultry, eggs, pork, beef, seafood or beans. Protein should be added in moderate amounts. Too high a protein level can lead to kidney failure. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Snack in moderation. A balanced diet may include some high-calorie foods or snacks. These foods shouldn’t be eaten every day, but there’s no need to avoid them altogether. ^{[14] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

May have occasional snacks. Snacks can be a dessert or a glass of wine.
Don’t snack too much or too often. This will lead to an unbalanced diet, cause weight gain or contribute to chronic diseases like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Snacks including alcoholic beverages. Women should not drink more than one alcoholic beverage per day; Men should not drink more than two cups. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Make a meal menu. To build a balanced diet, menu planning can help. This helps you visualize if you’re meeting the basics of a well-rounded diet – like eating one portion of food from each food group and diversifying your food sources throughout the week. ^{[16] X Research Source}

When planning meals, you need to prepare enough breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, the menu should include snacks.
After planning your menu for a few days or a week, check back to make sure you’re getting enough and plenty of foods in each food group. From there, you can make adjustments if you find a shortage.
You can find a way to get a meal tracking app on your smartphone to make menu planning easier.

Maintain a balanced diet

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Add lean protein. Protein is an essential nutrient that the body needs in relatively large amounts. Adding protein-rich foods to each meal and snack can help meet your daily protein needs. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Protein is found in many foods, including: poultry, beef, pork, beans, eggs, animal milk, tofu or soy.
A portion of protein is about 90-120 g. Imagine the size of a deck of cards or a notebook. ^{[18] X Trusted Source USDA Center for Nutrition Ppicy and Promotion Go to the source} Most women need about 46 g of protein; Men need about 56 g of protein per day.
Choose lean or low-fat protein sources if you’re looking to control weight. This food source is low in calories and may aid weight loss. Lean proteins include: boneless, skinless chicken breast; turkey fillet; ground beef 90% lean or more; nuts are not seasoned with salt. ^{[19] X Research Source}

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Eat lots of vegetables. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. In addition, vegetables are also a rich source of antioxidants that you cannot get from other foods. ^{[20] X Trusted Source American Heart Association Go to Source}

A serving of fruit is a small piece or 1/2 cup of chopped fruit. ^{[21] X Trusted Source USDA Center for Nutrition Ppicy and Promotion Go to the source} In general, it is recommended to consume 2-3 servings of fruit per day.
A serving of vegetables is 1-2 cups of vegetables. ^{[22] X Trusted Source USDA Center for Nutrition Ppicy and Promotion Go to source} 4-5 servings of vegetables per day is recommended.
To add more antioxidants, you should choose a variety of vegetables with different colors. This helps diversify the source of nutrients because different colored fruits contain different vitamins. ^{[23] X Trusted Source USDA Center for Nutrition Ppicy and Promotion Go to Source}

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Choose 100% whole grains. The grain group includes both whole grains and refined grains. If possible, grain sources should contain 50% or 100% whole grains.

Whole grains are less processed and contain all parts of the grain – germ, endosperm, and bran. ^{[24] X Research Sources} All three provide the body with fiber, protein and many beneficial nutrients. Some whole grain foods like corn, quinoa, oats, brown rice and 100% whole grain pasta and bread.
Refined grains undergo more processing and contain no bran or germ of the grain (which reduces nutritional value). Refined grain foods include: white bread or pasta, white rice, and many other foods made primarily from white flour.
One serving of whole grains is 30 g or 1/2 cup. It is recommended to consume 2-3 servings of whole grains per day. Make sure your daily cereal source contains half 100% whole grains.

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Add healthy fats. Fats are not considered a food group but are essential nutrients for a balanced diet. Note that you should not eat too much fat or add too much harmful fat.

Focus on getting heart-healthy fats like omega-3s or monounsaturated fats. Research shows that these types of fats promote heart health. ^{[25] X Research Sources} Good sources of fats include: olive or olive oil, high-fat fish, avocados, nuts or nut oils.
One serving is 1 teaspoon of fat or oil. It is recommended to supplement 1-2 servings (no more than 2 servings) per day.
Avoid or limit your consumption of unhealthy fats like trans fats and saturated fats. These fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and are often found in foods such as: fast or fried foods, processed foods, or high-fat animal proteins. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

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Drink functional foods. Sometimes, you may not be able to consume all 5 food groups or a variety of food sources. The cause could be a food allergy, food sensitivity, or chronic illness. In that case, you need to get enough essential nutrients through another source such as vitamin and mineral supplements. You should get as much nutrition from your diet as possible and only use supplements if necessary.

Taking supplements can help meet your daily nutritional needs. A multivitamin, calcium (especially for people with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance), fish oil (if you’re allergic to seafood or can’t eat fish) or vitamin D (difficult to get it from foods) may be considered. products, can be absorbed from sunlight). ^{[27] X Research Source}
Vegetarians and vegans may need to take vitamin B12 or iron supplements if their diet is deficient in these two nutrients.
Always consult your doctor before taking a vitamin, mineral or herbal supplement. Although relatively harmless, some supplements can have serious reactions to prescription drugs and chronic diseases. The doctor will guide the use of safe and appropriate functional foods.
Absolutely do not rely entirely on functional foods to provide nutrients for the body. It’s best to find a way to get all or most of the nutrients from food. ^{[28] X Research Sources}

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Go see a nutritionist. Maintaining a balanced diet can be a bit difficult. A licensed dietitian will help provide you with more information, guidance and support to change your diet.

Licensed dietitians are licensed nutrition, healthy diet and weight loss professionals.
You can actively seek out a dietitian or ask a doctor for a referral.

Advice

Can eat a variety of nuts, divided into small portions. Don’t eat too much.
Eat slowly to avoid overeating. Eating slowly helps the brain send signals to the body that you are full. If you eat too quickly, your brain won’t be able to send these signals away until you’ve eaten too much.
A calorie-restricted diet that includes the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat also helps with weight loss. By following a balanced diet, you don’t need to completely stop consuming nutrient-dense food groups and avoid key nutrient deficiencies. An essential first step is to choose a diet that includes a variety of foods.

Steps

Understanding a balanced diet

Maintain a balanced diet

Advice

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