In today's hectic world, many people end up grabbing some fast food while on the go or giving in to those tempting goodies on the supermarket shelves. But if this happens too often, you'll have a hard time eating a balanced diet, not to mention consuming too many calories. The Mayo Clinic recommends you take control of your diet with meal planning based on good nutrition.
Identification
A balanced diet consists of moderate amounts of a variety of foods drawn from all food groups. To make sure you are choosing a good mix that provides proper nutrition, check your choices against a recognized guideline like the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid. The quantity of food you need varies depending on your age, gender and weight. Your level of physical activity also affects how many calories you need. Ideally, you should complement a balanced diet with regular exercise. The website Help Guide suggests you view exercise as a food group that is just as important as the others.
Food Groups
There are six food groups in the food pyramid, according to Health.gov. Grains include items like bread, cereal and rice. Vegetables and vegetable juices are another food group. Next are fruits and 100-percent fruit juice. The dairy group includes milk, cheese and yogurt. Meats and beans are the next food group. Fat, oil and sweets are the last food group. However, you consume fat and oil as part of the rest of your diet and you'll probably get more than you need if you aren't careful.
Quantity
Young children, women and some older adults require about 1,600 calories each day, according to Health.gov. Older children, women and most men need about 2,200 calories per day, while teenage boys and active men need an average of 2,800 calories. These are estimates and vary with individual weight and the intensity of physical activity.
Servings
If you need more calories, you should consume a greater number of servings of food. Your diet should include six to as many as 11 servings of grains each day. Vegetables should make up three to five servings, plus two to four servings of fruit. Include two or three servings from the dairy group. Meat consumption should be a total of 5 to 7 oz. per day.
Serving Sizes
One-half cup is considered a serving for most fruits and vegetables. For juices, 3/4 cup is one serving. However, a full cup is a serving for leafy vegetables. In the dairy group, 1 cup of milk or 1-1/2 oz. of cheese is a serving. For processed cheese, increase the serving size to 2 oz.. One-third cup of nuts or 2 tbsp. of peanut butter are a full serving. For meat, you will need to limit serving sizes to 2 or 3 oz. per meal or have some meatless meals each day.
Things to Avoid
For a balanced diet and proper nutrition, there are some things you want to exclude, or at least keep to a minimum. Avoid "empty calories," meaning foods or drinks with lots of calories but little nutritional value. Try to eat lean meat and other foods low in fat, especially saturated fat. Americans tend to consume too much refined sugar and salt, so try to minimize these items. Whole grains provide more nutrition than refined grain products.
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