Balanced Diet

and
Weight
Management
 Food choices made over years influence the body’s
health, and consistently poor choices increase the
risks of developing chronic diseases.
 Fortunately, most foods provide several nutrients, so
one trick for wise diet planning is to select a
combination of foods that deliver a full array of
nutrients.
 Diet-planning principles and dietary guidelines will
assist people in selecting foods that will deliver
nutrients without excess energy (kcalories).
 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) : The
dietary intake value that is sufficient to meet
the nutrient requirements of 97 to 98 percent
of all healthy individuals in a group.

 Nutrient Density: the concentration of a

nutrient per unit of energy (e.g., 1000 Cal) in a
specific food.
BALANCED DIET DEFINITION
 An “adequate diet” or “balanced diet” is one which
provides all the essential nutrients in sufficient
quantities and proper proportions to meet the needs
of the body.

 Hence, the diet should be balanced in quantity and

quality catering to the requirements of Growth,
Repair, Maintenance of Health and Regulation of
body functions.
Composition of Balanced Diet
 About 50-60% of energy requirements should come
from carbohydrates (mainly complex)
 About 15-20% of energy should come from proteins
 About 25-30% of energy should come from total fat.
(Of this, saturated fat should be less than a third)
 The healthy combination of a balanced diet is one
which has low fat, low refined carbohydrates,
Optimal amount of Vitamins, Minerals and Fibre.
Diet Planning Principles
Six basic diet-planning principles are
1. Adequacy
2. Balance
3. Kilocalorie (energy) control
4. Nutrient Density and Empty calorie foods
5. Moderation
6. Variety
1. Adequacy
 Adequacy means that the diet provides
sufficient energy and enough of all the
nutrients to meet the needs of healthy
people.

 The diet should contain “Basic five food

groups” in adequate amount
2. Balance
 The art of balancing the diet involves
consuming enough—but not too much—of
each type of food.

 Balance in the diet helps to ensure adequacy

3. Kcalories (Energy) Control
 Designing an adequate diet without overeating requires
careful planning.
 Once again, balance plays a key role.
 The amount of energy coming into the body from foods
should balance with the amount of energy being used by
the body to sustain its metabolic and physical activities.
 Upsetting this balance leads to gains or losses in body
weight.
 The key to kcalories control is to select foods of high nutrient
density.
4. Nutrient Density
 To eat well without overeating, select foods that deliver
the most nutrients for the least food energy.
 Nutrient density promotes adequacy and kcalories
control.
 Foods that are notably low in nutrient density—such as
potato chips, candy, and colas—are sometimes called
empty-k calorie foods.
 The kcalories these foods provide are called “empty”
because they deliver energy (from sugar, fat, or both)
with little, or no, protein, vitamins, or minerals.
 For example, a can of cola and a
handful of grapes may both provide
about the same number of kcalories, but
the grapes deliver many more nutrients.
 A person who makes nutrient-dense
choices, such as fruit instead of cola, can
meet daily nutrient needs on a lower
energy budget. Such choices support
good health.
5. Moderation
 Moderation contributes to adequacy, balance,
and kcalories control.
 Foods rich in fat and sugar provide enjoyment and
energy but relatively few nutrients. In addition,
they promote weight gain when eaten in excess.
A person practicing moderation eats such foods
only on occasion and regularly selects foods low
in solid fats and added sugars, a practice that
automatically improves nutrient density.
6. Variety
A diet may have all of the
virtues just described and still
lack variety, if a person eats
the same foods day after
day.
 People should select foods
from each of the food
groups daily and vary their
choices within each food
group from day to day for
several reasons.
7. Other factors
 Economic consideration
 Meal pattern : varies with age, occupation
and lifestyle of family members
 Meal should give satiety. (interval between
meals should also be considered)
 Availability of foods (locally available foods)
 Consideration should be given for likes and
dislikes of the individuals.
Points to be considered in planning the
balanced diet:
1. For all nutrients minimum RDA must be met. For energy, total
energy can be RDA ± 50
2. Whole grain cereals, parboiled grains give higher nutritive
value
3. Flour should not be sieved for chapatti as it reduces bran
content
4. Minimize refined content like Maida
5. To improve the cereals and pulse protein quality, minimum
ratio of cereal protein to pulses protein should be 4:1.
6. 6. Two to three serving of pulses should be taken every day.
7. One egg weighs around 40 g. This can be served along with
cereal or pulses to improve the quality of protein. Instead, one
serving of fish/poultry can be included in the diet.
8. A minimum quantity of 500 ml of milk should be included.
9.Fibre rich food should be included
10. Raw fruit should be eaten.
11. Inclusion of salad or raita not only helps in vitamin
requirements but the meal would be attractive and have high
satiety because of fiber content.
12. Green leafy vegetables can be taken more the one serving, if
fruit is not included in the diet, include colorful fruits and
vegetables.
13.Energy derived from fats or oils is 15-20% of calories.
14. Use combination of oils to have proper balance between n-3
and n-6 fatty acids
15. Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, trans fat and
cholesterol.
16. Use salt and sugar in moderation
17. Water should be taken in adequate quantity
18. Fried food can not be planned if oil allowance is less as in low
calorie diet
19.Ideally each meal should consist of all the five food groups
20. Use processed and ready to eat fruits judiciously. Processed
food contain a variety of food additive.
W.H.O. DIETARY GOALS
“Dietary Goals” as recommended by WHO expert
committees-
a) Dietary fat should be limited to about 20 to 30 percent
of total daily intake
b) Saturated fats should contribute not more than 10% of
the total energy intake; unsaturated vegetable oils should
be substituted for the remaining fat requirement.
c) Excessive consumption of refined CHO should be
avoided; some carbohydrates rich in natural fibres should
be included.
d) Sources rich in energy such as fats and alcohol
should be restricted
e) Salt intake should be reduced to an average of
not more than 5 g. per day.
f) Protein should account for approximately 15-20%
of the daily intake
g) Junk foods such as ketchups, fast food, colas and
other foods that supply empty calories should be
reduced.
DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR INDIANS: 2011 (by NIN
and ICMR)
 Right nutritional behaviour and dietary choices are needed to
achieve dietary goals. The following 15 dietary guidelines provide
a broad framework for appropriate action.
1. Eat variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet.
2. Ensure provision of extra food and healthcare to pregnant and
lactating women.
3. Promote exclusive breastfeeding for six months and encourage
breastfeeding till two years or as long as one can.
4. Feed home based semi solid foods to the infant after six months.
5. Ensure adequate and appropriate diets for children and
adolescents both in health and sickness.
6. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
7. Ensure moderate use of edible oils and animal foods and very
less use of ghee/ butter/vanaspati .
8. Avoid overeating to prevent overweight and obesity.
9. Exercise regularly and be physically active to maintain ideal
body weight
10. Restrict salt intake to minimum.
11. Ensure the use of safe and clean foods.
12. Adopt right pre-cooking processes and appropriate cooking
methods.
13. Drink plenty of water and take beverages in moderation.
14. Minimize the use of processed foods rich in salt, sugar and
fats.
15. Include micronutrient-rich foods in the diets of elderly people
to enable them to be fit and active.
Diet-Planning Guides
 To plan a diet that achieves all of the
dietary nutrients - a person needs tools as
well as knowledge.

 Among the most widely used tools for diet

planning are food group plans that build a
diet from clusters of foods that are similar in
nutrient content.
USDA’s Food Guide

 The 2005 Dietary Guidelines encourage

consumers to adopt a balanced eating
plan, such as the USDA’s Food Guide.

 The USDA Food Guide assigns foods to five

major groups
Cereals And Grains
Pluses And Legumes
Green Leafy Vegetables
Roots And Tubers
Fruits
Milk And Meat Products
Fats And Sugars
Food Pyramid Or Diet Pyramid
 It is a pyramid-shaped diagram representing
the optimal number of servings to be eaten
each day from each of the basic food groups.
 The first food pyramid was published in Sweden
in 1974.
 The food pyramid introduced by the United
States Department of Agriculture in the year
1992 was called the "Food Guide Pyramid".
 It was updated in 2005 and then replaced
by My Plate in 2011.
The USDA's original food pyramid from 1992.
Food pyramid published by the WHO and FAO
MyPyramid—Steps to a Healthier You
 The USDA created an educational tool called MyPyramid to
illustrate the concepts of the Dietary Guidelines and the USDA Food
Guide.
 A graphic image of MyPyramid, which was designed to encourage
consumers to make healthy food and physical activity choices
every day.
 The abundant materials that support MyPyramid help consumers
choose the kinds and amounts of foods to eat each day
(MyPyramid.gov).
 In addition to creating a personal plan, consumers can find tips to
help them improve their diet and lifestyle by “taking small steps
each day.”
The USDA's updated food pyramid from
2005, MyPyramid.
My Plate

 My Plate is the current nutrition guide published by

the United States Department of Agriculture,
a food circle (i.e. a pie chart) depicting a place
setting with a plate and glass divided into
five food groups.[1] It replaced the
USDA's MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, ending
19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams.