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What is a Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet includes a variety of foods from all 5 food groups. It should
provide enough calories to ensure a desirable weight and should include all the
necessary daily nutrients.
5 Basic Food Groups
| GROUP |
FOODS
INCLUDED |
DAILY
SERVINGS |
NUTRITION |
| Grains |
Breakfast
cereals, muesli, rice, pasta, bread, oats, noodles, and all other foods made from
flour and grains. Best are less refined types. |
6-11
servings |
Good
sources of starchy carbohydrates, fibre, plus calcium, iron and B vitamins. Very
filling and low in fat. |
| Vegetables |
Includes fresh,
frozen or canned, & blended vegetable juice drinks.
Best: spinach, cabbage, bean sprouts, peas, carrots, broccoli, peppers, leeks
potatoes onions, garlic, tomatoes |
4 servings |
Good sources of
antioxidant vitamins A & C, folates, fibre and some carbohydrates. Very low
in fat and calories. |
| Fruits |
Includes
fresh, frozen or canned plus blended 100% fruit drinks.
Best: strawberries, grapes, kiwis, pineapple blackcurrants oranges, lemons, grapefruit,
peaches, apricots. |
3-4
servings |
Good
sources of antioxidant vitamins A & C, folates, fibre and some carbohydrates.
Very low in fat and calories. |
| Meat
& dairy |
Fish,
all meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, nuts.
Best: any fish (esp. oily fish), turkey, free range chicken, lean beef, free range
eggs, low fat dairy products, fat free milk and lower fat cheese. |
2-3 servings
Aim to eat at least two portions of fish per week
|
Lean
red meat contains
a wide variety of
essential nutrients.
Doctors advise us to
eat less red meat and
more oily fish. |
| Sugars
& fats |
All
sugars, oils, butter, margarine, cream.
Best: choose unrefined oils which are low in saturated fat, unrefined sugar and
low fat spread low fat soft margarine. |
Tiny
amounts |
Only
Good source of
essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. |
A Good Combination of Foods for a Balanced
Diet
The healthiest combination for a balanced diet
is low fat, low refined carb + healthy carbs + moderate protein. For example,
as a general rule:
About 50 percent of your calories should come
from complex carbohydrates
About 20 percent should come from protein.
About 30 percent should come from all fat. (Of this, a max. of one third may be
saturated fat).
| FOOD GROUP |
What Constitutes A Serving?
|
| Grains |
1 slice bread - half a muffin
- half bowl cereal - 4oz/100g cooked rice/pasta. |
| Vegetables |
4oz/100g cooked/raw
vegetables - 8oz/200g leafy green vegetables - glass vegetable juice. |
| Fruits |
1 medium fresh fruit - 4oz canned
fruit - 6 dried apricots - glass fruit juice. |
| Meat &
dairy |
2-3oz/50-75g cooked lean meat/fish/poultry
- 2 eggs - 7oz/175g tofu - half cup nuts/seeds.1 cup milk/yoghurt - 1oz cheddar
cheese - 4oz cottage cheese - 4oz ice-cream/frozen yoghurt. |
| Sugars &
fats |
Ideally use fat free sprays
for cooking. Use only light covering of spread on bread. |
How many calories do you need?
Calories
and Losing Weight , Vegetarian Diet
To find out your individual calorie needs, click the Calories Per Day Calculator
Below.
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