Components of a balanced diet

Balanced Diet

What is diet? what is a balanced diet? is a balanced diet similar to a healthy diet? what do we take to say we have taken a completely balanced diet?

These are some of the questions we have in mind and sometimes we shy off from asking and continue taking junkie food in the name of its the "normal food' because it's affordable, accessible, and acceptable if I may say so.

A diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organisms or a specific intake of food for health or weight-management reasons. That's why sometimes you may hear people use words like dieting. For example " for the next six months, I will be dieting to lose weight"  

A balanced diet is a diet that contains different kinds of food in certain quantities and portions so that the requirements for carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fats are provided adequately in the body or as required by the body for good health and growth

Is a  balanced diet similar to a  healthy diet? Well, it is said that a  balanced diet is a healthy diet so yes they are identical or they are the same thing. A balanced diet emphasizes a diet that has all the nutrients needed by the body for healthy growth, and a  healthy diet contains all those nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, fats, and minerals.

Components of a Balanced Diet

This will answer what we take to say we have taken a completely balanced diet. The sources of each and also the advantages. Components of a balanced diet contain carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which are macronutrients meaning they are used in large amounts in the body examples of each macronutrient source and benefit/advantage include.

Carbohydrates; Bread(wheat), rice, all types of potatoes, spaghetti, corns flour (this are food that gives energy to the body

 proteins -proteins can either be plant or animal proteins.  

Plant protein includes; Beans, soy, nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Animal protein; Meat, egg, and milk ( Proteins helps in the repair of worn-out tissues in the body.)

Fats; Fats come from dairy products, from some fruits and vegetables like avocado, etc. ( fats help in lowering the risk of heart diseases and stroke and also prevent abnormal heart rhythms among others).

There are also the micronutrients that are part of a balanced diet (These are required in trace amounts in the body for normal growth and development ). They include; minerals and vitamins.

Minerals; iron zinc, calcium, copper, etc  some sources of these minerals are spinach, fruits, water, and fish( they help in keeping bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly.)

Vitamins; There are various examples of vitamin which are vitamin A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins( Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate/folic acid, and also B12) Vitamins helps in promoting healthy aging, reduces anxiety and stress, support immune system, etc.

A MODEL PLATE CONTAINING ALL THE COMPONENTS OF A BALANCED DIET

Taking a balanced diet should also be accompanied by taking plenty of water which is six-eight glasses of water a day. water aids in carrying nutrients and oxygen to the body cell, flushing bacteria from the bladder, aiding in digestion, normalizing blood pressure, protecting organs and tissues among others