How to Maintain a Balanced Diet

Overview

If you are overweight or simply feel sluggish and less than healthy, your diet might be to blame. You need to eat a well-balanced diet in order to lose weight and get all the vital nutrients that your body needs. Too much of any one food source can cause weight gain or nutrient deficiencies. A news release published by the United States Department of Agriculture indicates that many Americans are not sure whether they are eating a well balanced diet. By following a few basic guidelines, anyone can maintain a well balanced diet.

Step 1

Practice moderation. Your body needs a variety of different food sources. It is not healthy to radically limit any food source, including carbohydrates and fats. Foods like those that are high in fat and sugar should not be eaten in excess.

Step 2

Learn to love fruits and vegetables. Foods at the bottom of the USDA food pyramid are foods you can eat a lot of without having to worry about gaining unwanted weight. Eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Although fruits and vegetables are healthy foods, you also need to eat other foods throughout the day for a well balanced diet.

Step 3

Include healthy grains and sources of carbohydrates in your daily diet. About 30 percent of the calories from the foods you eat each day should come from carbohydrates. Concentrate on whole grain carbohydrates and brown rice. Keep white starchy carbohydrates to a minimum. Limit carbohydrates from candy bars and other junk food.

Step 4

Drink milk and eat other dairy products as part of a well balanced diet. The calcium and other nutrients in dairy products are essential to your body, so you need a couple of servings each day. If you are worried about your fat intake, stick with non-fat or reduced fat milk and dairy products like cheese.

Step 5

Add in at least two protein sources in your diet each day. Keep in mind that you do not have to eat high-fat meats for protein. Poultry, fish and lean meat cuts provide the protein your body needs. Nuts and beans provide another healthy source of protein. If you are vegetarian, make certain to eat a variety of different plant proteins.

Step 6

Leave sugars and oils behind. You need very little of these ingredients in your diet. Finding healthy alternatives will aid you in improving your health and achieving your ideal weight. In fact, the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid recommends eating no more than 75 calories of sweets in a day (see Reference 2).

Step 7

Include exercise in the mix. Physical activity goes hand in hand with eating a well balanced diet in order to achieve and maintain your optimal weight.