A balanced diet includes all the nutrients your body needs to maximize your health and growth potential, while minimizing your intake of unhealthy, nutrient-poor foods. Eating balanced meals while dieting does not mean you have to give up your favorite foods --- rather, you learn how to enjoy a variety of foods from all the major food groups. Understanding how to devise balanced diet meals will help you to stay healthy --- reducing your risk of chronic illness --- and boost your energy, hone your memory and stabilize your mood, the Helpguide website reports.
Building Blocks
Aim to get 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates to maximize energy, 10 to 35 percent from protein to support muscle and cell development and 20 to 35 percent from fats to regulate hormones and facilitate vitamin absorption, the Institute of Medicine instructs. Every meal does not have to be perfectly balanced in these ratios --- but your daily total should be in this range. A day's worth of balanced meals should also keep sugar intake below 25 percent of the day's calories and include 38 grams of fiber for men and 25 grams for women.
Types of Foods
A balanced diet meal includes a combination of two to three of the following: lean proteins, low- or non-fat dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, unsaturated fats and whole grains. Chicken or turkey breast, fish, very lean beef, beans and soy have minimal saturated fat and make good protein choices for balanced diet meals. Skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, non-fat plain yogurt and reduced-fat cheese add protein and calcium to meals. Olive oil, flax seeds, nuts, avocados and fatty fish offer heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Whole grains include foods like brown rice, quinoa, oats and bran, as well as 100-percent whole-wheat bread products.
Portion Sizes
Balanced diet meals also take portion sizes into account. To stay within the Institute of Medicine's dietary guidelines, eat two to three 3-oz. servings of proteins, three to five ½-cup servings of vegetables, two to three 1-cup servings of dairy, two to three ½-cup servings of fruit, and six to eleven servings of whole grains (either a half-cup of grains or a slice of bread counts as a serving), dietitian Joanne Larsen advises on the Ask the Dietitian website. If you are particularly active and need more calories, you should increase your servings proportionately, as directed by the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid website.
Sample Meals
A day of balanced meals might begin with one cup of whole-grain cereal, a cup of low-fat milk and a half-cup of strawberries. Eat a lunch including 3 oz. of deli turkey on a whole-grain pita with lettuce and tomato, chopped carrots and peppers and low-fat pudding. For dinner, have a cup of whole-grain spaghetti with 3 oz. of lean ground turkey, marinara sauce and a large side salad dressed with olive oil and lemon. Enjoy a few snacks during the day to round out your nutrient needs --- go for low-fat cottage cheese with diced apple or plain yogurt with a sprinkling of walnuts, for example.
Discretionary Calories
Balanced diet meals may include some "unhealthy" foods, but in moderation. Nutrient-poor foods like cookies, alcohol, candy, soda, chips and snack mixes should be an occasional treat, rather than a regular part of meals. Budget in these foods after you know your nutritional needs for the day have been met. The USDA recommends these discretionary calories make up only 10 to 15 percent of your total daily calorie needs.
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