If you have no special nutritional needs from a health or pregnancy issue, a normal balanced diet will deliver the elements necessary for your body to grow and thrive. Protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins facilitate all of your mental and physical functions and sustain life. You'll get the right amounts of nutrients from reasonably portioned meals derived from each food group. This broad nutrition helps you avoid calorie overload from too much fat or sugar, to perpetuate a healthy weight.
Dairy Products
Start building your calcium, potassium and vitamin D totals early in your day with milk. The American Heart Association suggests three 1-cup servings of 1 percent or fat-free dairy products per day to fulfill calcium requirements and balance your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Cheese and yogurt offer similar nutrition.
Grain Foods
Iron, B vitamins and dietary fiber from foods such as breakfast cereal, rice, barley and wheat, oat, rye or corn baked goods expand your nutritional profile. To get the most value per calorie, the USDA recommends selecting whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat over refined grains, such as white rice and white flour. A normal 2,000-calorie diet can accommodate six to eight daily servings of grain foods in portions suggested on package labels.
Fruits
Fruits add fiber and vitamin C to your nutrient totals and natural sweetness to your meals and snacks. Eat a variety of fruits, including melons, berries, stone fruits and citrus fruits, and rotate your selections among them to benefit from additional plant-specific nutrients. Three to five servings of one medium fruit or ½-cup of cut fruit or 100 percent fruit juice will satisfy daily nutrient value requirements.
Vegetables
Use the same serving guide to get an array of vitamins A through K, fiber, magnesium, iron, potassium and other minerals. Like fruits, many vegetables are nutrient dense, providing high daily values and few calories. Some of these vegetables include cooked spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, artichokes and sweet potatoes. Lettuce salads have less nutrient and calorie density, so you can enjoy 1-cup portions of greens and add a serving of cut vegetables for greater nutrition.
Protein Foods
Protein foods, which typically carry greater saturated fat, cholesterol and calorie loads, have different serving guidelines to maintain balance in your diet. You should limit animal-based ingredients, such as seafood and meats, to 6 oz. per day, with fish being featured a couple times each week for its contributions of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Plant-based sources of significant protein include beans, nuts and seeds, which contain various vitamins and minerals and no cholesterol.
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