What Do You Mean By Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet is known as one which contains various types of foods in such quantities and proportions that the need for amino acids, energy, vitamins, fats, minerals, carbohydrates and other nutrients as adequately met for keeping health, vitality and general well-being and also make a small provision for extra nutrients to withstand short duration of leanness.
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Fig: Balanced diet chart |
Principles of Balanced Diet:
The following principles should be born in mind in constructing balanced diet:
- The first one is the daily requirement of protein should be fulfilled. This quantity varies from 10 to 15 per cent of the daily energy intake.
- Next comes the fat requirement which should be limited to 15-30 percent of the daily energy intake.
- Natural fiber which is full of carbohydrates should constitute the remaining food energy. The requirements of micro nutrients should be met.
Why Balanced Diet is Important for Young Children?
Balanced diet has so much importance for young children for the below reasons:
- For children, a healthy balanced diet provides necessary minerals, vitamins and other nutritional goodies that kids need for healthy growth and development.
- Both vitamins and minerals are so important for our bodies to work properly and each one plays a definite role in the body.
- If children develop healthy eating habits from the beginning, it will set them up for a healthier adulthood.
Some Key Factors of Balanced Diet:
There are some important factors which affect the balanced diet have listed in the following:
- A growing child needs more proteins and calories than the adults.
- Male requires more calories than the females.
- Hard work always needs more calories than the sedentary work.
- Lactation and disease condition body of a pregnant woman requires more calories, proteins and vitamins.
Balanced Diet Chart for Poor People of Bangladesh:
The below chart has shown a balanced diet for the poor peoples of Bangladesh.
SL No. |
Food Items |
Quantity |
Calorie |
01 |
Rice |
240 gm |
960 kcal |
02 |
Atta |
120 gm |
480 kcal |
03 |
Fish / Meat / Egg |
60 gm |
240 kcal |
04 |
Pulses |
25 gm |
85 kcal |
05 |
Oil |
30 gm |
270 kcal |
06 |
Leafy vegetables |
60 gm |
24 kcal |
07 |
Non-leafy vegetables |
100 gm |
60 kcal |
08 |
Fruits |
60 gm |
12 kcal |
Total |
2131 kcal |
Compositions of a Balanced Diet Percentage:
The composition of a balanced diet for an average male is presented in the following table:
SL No. |
Food Items |
Quantity |
01 |
Cereals |
400 gm |
02 |
Pulses |
50-70 gm |
03 |
Leafy vegetables |
100 gm |
04 |
Other vegetables |
100 gm |
05 |
Root and tubers |
75 gm |
06 |
Milk |
75 gm |
07 |
Fats |
200 gm |
08 |
Meat / Fish |
30 gm |
09 |
Egg |
30 gm |
10 |
Fruits |
30 gm |
11 |
Sugar |
30 gm |
More questions related to this article:
- What is balanced diet?
- Define balanced diet.
- What are the principles of maintaining a balanced diet?
- What are the principles of healthy balanced diet?
- What are the principles of balanced diet in nutrition?
- What are the basic principles of balanced diet?
- Why is a healthy diet important for child development?
- What are the benefits of healthy eating for children?
- What are the roles of nutrition in child development?
- What are the factors of balanced diet?
- What are the components of balanced diet chart?
- List the percentage of components of a balanced diet.