Choose a balanced diet

Knowing what nutrients and how much of each is recommended for optimal health is important. This information is not always useful to choose a balanced diet. Due to numerous food available today, there are many combinations of foods that make up a healthy diet. Almost any food can be part of a healthy diet as long as it is balanced with other food choices throughout the day or week to meet but not exceed diet.

healthy diet provides the right amount of calories to maintain weight in the desirable range; proper balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat choices; plenty of water; and adequate but not too much of vitamins and minerals. How this translates into specific food choices on individual needs and preferences, but in general, a healthy diet is rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables; contains the right type of fat; and is low in added sugar. Choose this diet does not mean that people have to give up their favorite foods. But it does require them to think about the variety and balance of foods.

Variety is very important to a healthy diet because different foods provide different nutrients. Model range of choices within each food group is as important as choosing the right amount of each food group. For example, strawberries are a fruit that provides vitamin C but little vitamin, but apricots are a good source of vitamin A, but provides fewer vitamin C. A diet containing only strawberries will provide a lot of vitamin C, but may be lacking in vitamin A.

Balance is also part of a healthy diet. Balanced diet means choosing foods that complement each other. This requires considering the nutrient density of a food is. Foods that are low in nutrient density, such as baked goods, snack foods and soft drinks, should be balanced with nutrient-dense choices, such as salads, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. A meal consisting of a hamburger, fries and soda, can be balanced by eating salads, brown rice and chicken at the next meal.

varied diet that balances the nutrient-poor choice of nutrient- dense ones can help most people meet their nutritional needs. For those who have increased needs or limited food choices are fortified foods available. These foods contain added nutrients and products such as calcium-fortified orange juice and iron fortified cereals. In some cases, vitamin and mineral supplements can be useful, but it should be used with caution to avoid eating toxic amount.