A well-balanced diet supports your health by supplying the full range of nutrients that your body needs without overdoing any single element. Nutrients that are frequently overconsumed include fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium. Nutrients that you can use more of include fiber, vitamins and minerals. As you limit the risky stuff and get more of the good stuff, balance your total calorie intake with your activity level, to burn away any extra calories and keep from gaining weight.
Adequate Beneficial Nutrients
Your body knows what it needs to fuel its metabolism, and stimulates your appetite until you get it. This is why people on poor diets tend to overeat and may never fully satisfy their hunger. The National Institutes of Health advises that you can naturally curb your calorie intake by eating nutritious foods that are richer in fiber carbohydrates than in sugar. Fibrous foods tend to have greater contents of vitamins A, B, C, E and K than foods with larger ratios of fat or sugar. These plant-based foods may also contain potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and other essential minerals.
Limited Detrimental Nutrients
Many protein foods deliver more fats, and therefore more calories, than fibrous foods, so focusing on low-fat protein sources helps to balance your diet, leaving more room for other nutrients. Getting less dietary cholesterol, sodium and saturated and trans fat, in particular, preserves your heart health. Low sugar intake helps to manage your weight and prevent related illness such as type 2 diabetes. Unhealthy trans fat is found in commercial baked goods, and saturated fat in fast foods and fatty meats. To avoid unhealthy sodium consumption, eat fewer processed foods.
Variety in Food Types
To create a balanced eating plan, choose from each of the five food groups as often as possible. The USDA recommends making a nutrient "sweep" among grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy and protein foods, which include fish, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds and beans. The first three groups provide fiber, iron, magnesium, healthy unsaturated fats and vitamins A, B, C and K. The remaining foods offer significant calcium, potassium, protein and vitamins D and E.
Variety Among Food Groups
You can control the amount of nutrients that are detrimental in excess. Low-fat dairy products and fish, beans or lean meats limit saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating different kinds of fruits instead of sweetened desserts provides some but not too much natural sugar. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that a changing roster of colorful vegetables gives you a wider range of vitamins and minerals than eating the same thing. It is this type of dietary balance that delivers nutrition for body processes without a buildup of calories and artery-damaging solid fats.
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