Though you shouldn't take the old adage "You are what you eat" literally, it's an important lesson on what the food you put into your body says about you as a person. Eating the type of balanced daily diet recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. National Library of Medicine can go a long way toward ensuring that your body gets the best nutrition for the best function. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet.
Guidelines
The USDA gives guidelines for a daily diet come in its food pyramid on its MyPyramid website. The pyramid shows how each food group figures as a percentage of your daily diet. The pyramid depicts a stripe for each food group, with the width of the stripe depicting how much of your diet should be devoted to that particular type of food. According to the pyramid, you should eat more whole grains, dairy products and fruits and vegetables, while limiting your fats and meats.
Benefits
By eating a healthy, balanced diet, you prepare your body for your daily activities. A daily diet should include the fuel that you need, along with heart-healthy ingredients that keep your body working to the best of its abilities. By following the food pyramid and eating healthier foods, you can help prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as a myriad of other health problems like diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.
Weight Loss
One of the major benefits of eating a healthy daily diet is weight loss and maintenance. When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. The removal of processed foods, fatty meats and sugary treats from your diet can help you lose weight as your body burns calories more efficiently. While fad diets, diet pills and fasting promise quick weight loss, a daily diet is the best way to lose weight and create a healthy lifestyle that lasts.
Strategy
When you make the decision to eat a more balanced daily diet, it may be a big change, depending on how you've eaten in the past. Make small changes to acclimate yourself to your new menu, the Helpguide website suggests. Try things like cleaning out your cupboards and fridge and replacing the processed foods with healthier alternatives, or making a goal to shop around the perimeter of your grocery store, rather than in the middle aisles, for fresher, healthier options.
Sample Menu
The Mayo Clinic's website offers a sample menu for a healthy, balanced daily diet that can help you get started on shopping for, preparing and consuming the right foods. For breakfast, a banana, a cup of bran cereal and fat-free milk make a light breakfast that can keep you satisfied until lunch. Lunch consists of a salad with protein like tuna or chicken, along with fruits and vegetables. Dinner should be a small portion of grilled meat or fish with steamed vegetables. Fruit and nuts make for exemplary snacks to keep you satisfied between meals without feelings of deprivation.
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