Simple tips for a balanced Diet!

Getting the right types and amounts of foods is crucial. To supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development, a perfectly balanced diet will be the most beneficial.

To chart down a perfect diet for your body, you will need to know:

·         The calories you should consume every day.

·         The size portions you should eat.

·         The healthy choices from each food group.

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.

Guidelines for a perfect diet:

• A balanced diet must be low in saturated and trans-fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
• Your calorie intake must be compensated with exercise. Decrease the amount of calories you take in slowly while increasing exercise.
• Eat 2 cups (4 servings) of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables (5 servings) per day for an average 2,000-calorie per day diet.
• Eat more of whole-grain products per day along with fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products.
• Get fewer than 7% of calories from saturated fatty acids. Make total fat intake no more than 20 - 35% of calories. Choose "good" fats such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils containing polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Lean, low-fat, or fat-free meats, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products are preferable. Total fat intake can approach 35% if most of the fats are "good" fats.
• Avoid fried foods, commercial baked goods such as donuts, cookies, crackers and any other processed foods.
• Cholesterol intake must be less than 300 mg/day.
• Consume fewer than 2,300 mg (approximately one teaspoon of salt) of sodium daily, and limit added salt when you prepare food.
• Read nutrition labels on all foods. This will help you know what kind of fats, and how much, the food contains.