Balanced Diet Chart: For a Healthy Life
In order to lead a healthy life, it is essential to follow a balanced diet. Balanced diet is associated with good health, prevention of diseases and recovery from illnesses. A healthy and balanced diet protects against malnutrition in all its forms and against all non-communicable diseases too. Here is example of a Balanced Diet Chart:
Nutritional requirements are defined by a person's age, sex, body weight and physiological status. So while adults need nutrients for ensuring optimal body functions, infants and children need nutrients for growth. Apart from this, they need 2-3 times the amount per kg body weight as compared to adults. Pregnancy and lactation also demands more nutrients for proper growth of the foetus.
Overview on Balanced Diet Chart
Maintaining good health is the key to leading long and fulfilling lives. When trying to become fitter, there are a lot of things to take into account such as exercise, BMI, and, and most importantly your diet. The kind of food that people eat directly translates to how it gets absorbed and used by their bodies. If you eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain all major and minor nutrients, you will remain quite fit. However, if you continue to consume junk foods for long periods of time, your health will slowly deteriorate. Thus, keeping a healthy diet chart. In the long run, it is incredibly important to maintain our health and fitness levels. In this article, we’ll take a look at the importance of a balanced diet and some examples of what a daily diet chart should look like.
- Energy:
Energy is required in adequate amounts to perform daily physiological activities and to stay energised. Energy is mostly derived from carbohydrates and its healthy sources include whole grains and millets like whole wheat, maize, bajra, oats, ragi etc. Fresh whole fruits and legumes also provide with a lot of energy.
-Fats:
Fats are an essential part of our diet and should not be more than 20-30% of the total calorific intake. Saturated fats should be less than 7% of fat calories from both visible and invisible sources. Trans fats should be avoided totally. Fats must include a healthy mix of monounsaturated fats and poly unsaturated fats including omega-3s. Peanut, olive, canola, sunflower, and mustard or til oil are good and must be used on a rotational basis. Nuts and seeds are a good source of healthy fats.
-Proteins:
Proteins are essential for body building and help in repairing the daily wear and tear of the body in addition to keeping the muscles and immune system in top shape. Healthy proteins come from legumes, whole dals, fatty fish, egg, lean meat and chicken. Milk and milk products also add protein to our meals. Adding protein in diet is a good way to ensure that your full for long, which will further help you meet your weight loss goals.
-Milk:
Milk and milk products provide essential minerals and quality proteins. About 3-4 servings of milk in a day are a must. Children can take full cream milk while it is recommended for adults to choose low-fat or skimmed milk.
-Must Have:
Fruits like bananas contain potassium, a key nutrient for a healthy diet. Another essential fruit is pomegranate which is beneficial for all kinds of reasons — from aiding in boosting metabolism while also being antioxidant-rich. Another must-have is tomatoes as they contain lycopene which can prevent cancer. Leafy greens vegetables are also vital to a balanced nutrition plan but don’t neglect brinjals, onions, beets, garlic, etc.
Vegetables and Fruits:
Vegetables and fruits promote health by providing vitamins, minerals and fibre and also induce satiety. Consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day are a must. They are an excellent source of fibre.
Important Benefits of a Balanced Diet
A healthy and balanced diet allows you to experience a higher quality of life. What does this look like?
- Disease Prevention: The biggest takeaway from balanced nutrition is that it can protect one from a variety of dangerous diseases. Healthy foods affect various health markers like blood pressure, digestion, brain function, heart health, each of which can become compromised by a major illness. Hence a balanced diet can help one live longer.
- Weight Control: Consuming a balanced diet can become a key first step in weight loss. A balanced diet aids in the maintenance of weight for the long term. In case one is underweight, eating a healthy diet can help with weight gain, but you have to also maintain that weight in the long term.
- Immune System Health: Foods that are full of Vitamin C, D, and E are immunity boosters. Vitamin E can aid in the production of antibodies, and Vitamin C-rich foods produce lymphocytes. Both these types of cells fight infections in the body. Vitamin D-rich food eases inflammation in the body.
- Proper Sleep: A balanced diet has been claimed to improve sleep for the average person. Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining health.
- Mental Health: Being rich in whole foods, a balanced diet can help prevent the onslaught of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The link between mental illness and diet is a convoluted one but exists since sleep is a vital factor that connects both.
- Good for Children’s Growth: Children and teenagers who are still growing need a rich diet that contains a good mix of all necessary nutrients. Thus, a balanced diet is extremely crucial for kids of growing age. Lack of any single nutrient may cause stunted growth and improper development.
Balanced Diet Chart For Adults:
| Food Group | Portion(grams) | Sedentary(Men) |
| Cereals Millets | 30 | 12.5 |
| Pulses | 30 | 2.5 |
| Green Leafy Vegetables | 100 | 1 |
| Roots & Tubers | 100 | 2 |
| Milk & Milk products | 100(ml) | 3 |
| Other Vegetables | 100 | 2 |
| Fruits | 100 | 1 |
| Oils & Fats | 5 | 5 |
| Sugar | 5 | 4 |
