What is a Well-Balanced Diet?
A well-balanced diet is a diet that is able to meet your nutrient needs on a daily basis and healthy eating, incorporating the key principles of balance, variety, and moderation.
A balanced diet includes healthy proportions of all nutrients. All nutrients are the essential nutrients that a human being needs to have energy to perform his ‘her daily activities, to feed internal organs and functions to live breath, keep your heart pumping and to avoid future chronic disease. (Essential Nutrients- Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, Water).
A varied diet includes the colors of the rainbow coming from fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean proteins and dairy sources that are *nutrient dense and fiber rich and come full of disease preventing characteristics called *phytochemicals.
*Nutrient Dense-This refers to the amount of nutrients a food contains in relationship to the number of calories it contains. More nutrient-dense foods provide more nutrition per calorie in each bite.
*Phytochemicals- Nonnutritive compounds in foods that may play a role in fighting chronic disease.
A moderate diet provides adequate amounts of nutrients and energy avoiding *undernutrtion and *overnutrition.
*Undernutrition- A state of inadequate nutrition whereby a person’s nutrient or calorie needs aren’t met through the diet.
*Overnutrition- A state of excess nutrients and calories in the diet.
Reference: Nutrition and You; Joan Salge Blake, 4th Edition
Healthy meals prepared by Chef SueClair according to the principals of healthy eating and a well-balanced diet