If you tend to eat a few of the same foods most of the time, your body will benefit from a more balanced diet. Varying your food choices increases the range of nutrients that you consume to provide the dozens of dietary elements that are essential to life and health. Controlling calorie loads at the same time ensures that you'll get enough, but not too much, of each nutrient. Maintain a healthy weight and increase your well-being by broadening the nutrition in your meals.
Food Groups
Start with the grain, vegetable, fruit, dairy and protein food groups when planning your balanced menus. The National Institutes of Health suggests a choice from each group at every meal, for a formula that will help you achieve your daily quotas of the various vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and protein. Stop playing food favorites and switch selections regularly to equalize the type and amount of nutrients that you consume.
Essential Nutrients
Within each food group, make more frequent meal ingredients of items with less fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and greater content of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The USDA advises making a special effort to increase your calcium, fiber, potassium and vitamin D intakes. This means drawing the bulk of your diet from whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and eating more fish, lean meats and beans for protein and low-fat dairy selections.
Consistent Intake
A balance in the timing of your meals positively affects your blood sugar and satisfies your appetite to prevent overeating. Skipping breakfast, for instance, can leave you feeling light-headed as your cells are deprived of metabolic energy and might cause you to grab unhealthy snacks or eat too much of a high-calorie food at lunch or dinner. Eat three regular meals, and throw in a healthy snack such as nuts or fruit to keep your diet on track.
Calorie Limits
To avoid chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, balance the caloric energy available in the foods you eat through portion control and physical activity. Following the suggested serving sizes on food labels will give you an idea of reasonable portion amounts for adequate nutritional value. You may consume the FDA's recommended average of 2,000 calories per day or adjust that number to accommodate your activity level. If you maintain an appropriate weight, stick with that number; if you lose or gain weight, track your calories until you arrive at a weight balance and adhere to that limit.
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