Technically speaking a balanced diet is a diet which contains all the food nutrients in correct proportions to nourish body. The following are the essential food nutrients

Macro-nutrients

• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins

Micro-nutrients

• Water
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Fiber

The above mentioned nutrients are taken in as daily food but their proper proportion is important for obtaining and maintaining good physical and mental health.

Daily energy requirement

The understanding of daily energy requirement is very important towards the better understanding of balanced diet. As food we consume is direct source of energy for body and any lack or excess of energy is directly related to food intake. Following are the usual energy requirements of adult healthy males and females.

Circumstances	Healthy Adult Females	Healthy Adult Males
At rest	6.7MJ(1600Kcal)	8.4MJ(2000Kcal)
Light work	8.4MJ(2000Kcal)	11.3MJ(2700Kcal)
Heavy work	9.4MJ(2250Kcal)	14.6MJ(3500Kcal)

These are the daily caloric requirements for healthy persons doing norms of the life. The food intake of person should be based on these calculations.

Daily consumption of macro-nutrients

A person should take 80gms of proteins 300gms of carbohydrates and 125gms of fat daily to extract required amount of energy from daily food intake.

Daily servings of food

Daily servings of food are based on the age, gender, health condition and level of activity. Male gender usually requires more food servings as compared to female counterpart. Also special nutrient rich servings are required at extreme of ages i.e. in children and elders. Children need more proteinaceous diet as to meet growth requirement of body along with vitamins and minerals to build their bones. The diet of elders should also contain protein, calcium and vitamins.

How much is a serving?

A serving of different foods depends upon the quantity of that particular food. It is based on the Food Guide Pyramid given by USDA. A serving is based on American imperial cup system. Example of a serving is a cup of milk or half cup of pasta also counts as a serving.

Different food groups

There are following four groups of food

• Bread and cereals
• Fruits and vegetables
• Milk and dairy foods
• Meat, fish and others

All these four group of foods should be combined in a particular proportion to get a balanced diet.

What should be the goal?

Try to achieve

• A variety of foods
• Plenty of vegetables and fruits
• Moderate salt and sugar intake
• Low fat intake
• Moderate alcohol intake

If you have achieved this goal then you have got your balanced diet and now you should continue with that.