Foods for a Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet means eating a mix of nutritious meals from different food groups that provide essential nutrients, a good balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates and the right amount of calories to help you maintain a healthy weight. A balanced diet also allows room for treats now and then, as long as you eat them in moderation.

Food Groups

Many people are familiar with the four basic foods groups: fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy and meats and beans. Healthy eating guides, such as the Harvard School of Public Health's Healthy Eating Pyramid, break these groups down even further to help you make better decisions, moving refined grains and red meat up with the fats and sugars in the "eat sparingly" group of foods. This pyramid also splits healthy oils and fats into a separate group from saturated fats, and vegetable sources of protein from animal sources.

Choosing Within the Groups

At most meals aim to eat something from each of the main food groups, meaning a protein source, a grain or starchy vegetable, a dairy product and a fruit or non-starchy vegetable. For a well-balanced diet, go for foods low in saturated fat and that provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Choosing vegetables of different colors, for example, helps to increase the variety of nutrients you consume.

Amounts From the Different Groups

The number of servings from each of the different food groups that makes up a balanced diet depends on your age, sex, weight, height and activity level. However, for a 2,000-calorie diet you should eat approximately 2 cups of fruit per day, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 3 cups of low-fat dairy, 3 oz. of whole grains and 5 to 6 oz. of protein, according to MedlinePlus.

Considerations

You should limit cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day, saturated fat to less than 7 g per day, avoid trans fats and limit total fat to less than 35 percent of your calories. Keep salt to less than 2,300 mg per day, 1,500 mg if you have a high risk for high blood pressure and limit added sugar. Avoid adding fatty sauces to your food, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats and choose fish or vegetarian sources of protein more often than red meat.