A balanced diet is a diet that contains differing kinds of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins and alternative nutrients is adequate and a small provision is reserved for additional nutrients to endure the short length of leanness. In addition, a balanced diet ought to offer bioactive phyto-chemicals like dietary fibre, antioxidants and nutraceuticals that have positive health advantages.

A balanced diet should offer around 60-70% of total calories from carbohydrates, 10-12% from proteins and 20-25% of total calories from fat.

A balanced diet will not be the same for everyone. We’re all different and often, individuals will require different amounts and types of nutrients. What you need will depend on age, gender, lifestyle, health and the rate at which your body works. Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining good health and keeping your body in optimum condition. A balanced diet doesn’t cut out food groups; it consists of a wide variety of foods to support your body and keep you energised, motivated and healthy. Most nutritionists recommend a diet that is balanced for anyone to remain fit and healthy. The exact meaning of a balanced diet, however, is not very clear in everybody’s mind. A balanced diet is not like a crash diet as it allows you to eat everything that an average adult should, but in optimum proportions. Moreover, to maintain a proper balance, you cannot indulge in only one type of food. This would result in you missing out on essential nutrition that comes from comprehensive meals. A ‘balanced diet’ is complete only when you have a variety of food from all food groups contributing to your nutrition intake.

Good nutritional habits and a balanced diet aren’t developed in one day, nor are they destroyed in one unbalanced meal. Healthful eating means a lifestyle of making choices and decisions, planning, and knowing how to make quick and wise choices when you haven’t planned. What you learn about eating in these first years on your own will help establish good dietary patterns for the rest of your life. Making the break from home cooking and becoming responsible for choosing the foods you eat is part of the challenge of becoming a mature and an independent adult. It is a challenge that should not be taken lightly. The nutritional habits you develop now will be difficult to change in the coming years when your body stops growing and your lifestyle may become more sedentary. Learning to make sensible choices from a confusing array of options is not easy, but the rewards are great. Eating nutritious and healthful food while maintaining your proper body weight will contribute to a better performance in the classroom, in the gym, and on the dance floor. You will feel and look your best. In contrast, a poor diet can lead to insidious health problems that can interfere with success in academic and social performance and may eventually mean confronting a serious long-term illness, such as heart disease or diabetes. Knowing how much and what to eat is important knowledge.