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Balanced diet

Contents of this page:

Illustrations

Food guide pyramid
Food guide pyramid
Healthy diet
Healthy diet
Fish in diet
Fish in diet

Alternative Names    Return to top

Well-balanced diet

Definition    Return to top

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development.

Function    Return to top

A well-balanced diet provides enough energy and nutrition for optimal growth and development.

Food Sources    Return to top

Milk group (milk and milk products)

Meat and beans group

Fruit group

Vegetable group

Grain group (breads and cereals)

Oil

Side Effects    Return to top

An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of:

It can also cause problems with bone and muscle systems.

Recommendations    Return to top

The term "balanced" simply means that a diet meets your nutritional needs while not providing too much of any nutrients. To achieve a balanced diet, you must eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups.

There are several guidelines available to help you plan your balanced diet. They include:

General Guidelines

The most important step to eating a balanced diet is to educate yourself about what your body needs, and to read the nutrition label and ingredients of all the food you eat.

New dietary guidelines from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) recommend fewer calories and smarter food choices.

Some of the key recommendations:

References    Return to top

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Rockville, MD: US Dept of Health and Human Services and US Dept of Agriculture; 2005.

Update Date: 2/27/2008

Updated by: Patrika Tsai, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric GI, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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