A balanced diet provides all the essential nutrients and additional food elements to support good health -- without too much of the "bad" stuff. The adverse effect of excessive solid fats, sugar and sodium can cause serious chronic illnesses such as heart disease. A diet that limits these factors while emphasizing minerals, vitamins and other beneficial nutrients will automatically check calories. It is this dietary balance that will keep you in good health and at a healthy weight.
"Bad" Nutrients
Get the bad stuff out of the way to cut calories and to make more room for the "good" food nutrients. A balanced diet needs lower proportions of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium. Limit these by choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy and protein foods, avoiding commercial baked goods that contain trans fat and choosing foods with the least added sugar and salt, the main source for sodium. The American Heart Association also suggests cooking with as little solid margarine, butter and salt as possible.
Beneficial Nutrients
Your body needs dozens of nutrients, but some have top priority. Bone and muscle health and heart function rely on potassium and calcium, and vitamin D aids in calcium absorption. Dietary fiber assists digestion and blood cholesterol regulation. Levels of these particular food nutrients are low in many American diets. To keep your metabolism in gear, you also need protein, vitamins A, B, C, E and K, iron, magnesium and other minerals, and fatty acids in limited amounts. You'll get these elements from a variety of foods chosen from each food group.
Food Group Variety
Choose ingredients within the grain, vegetable, dairy, fruit and protein groups that balance the good and bad nutrients on your menus. Get high fiber, vitamins and minerals from whole grains such as bran cereal and brown rice, any fresh, frozen or canned fruits, and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Milk, yogurt or cheese should provide your calcium every day. Alternate protein sources to reduce your fat intake, with options that include fish, lean meats and poultry, cooked dry beans and peas, and nuts, seeds, almond butter and peanut butter.
Portions
To get the most out of your diet, balance your calorie intake with your energy output for daily tasks and workouts. In other words, don't overeat. Even the most nutritious foods can affect your weight if you eat too much at meals. Read the nutrition facts on food labels for a guide to portion sizes. Protein foods and grain products, especially, may be high in calories, so stick to 3-oz. servings of fish or meat and ½ cup to 1 cup of brown rice, pasta and cereal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers an average healthy diet to be 2,000 calories per day.
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