2. BALANCED DIET
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
After going through this chapter the student will be able to Recapitulate.
Define the balanced diet.
Explain the principles and nutrients of balance diet.
Describe the food guide and basic four food Groups.
Define the recommended dietary allowances and discuss its limitations and uses.
3. Explain the food exchange system.
Calculate the nutritive value of food.
Understand the menu planning and meal planning.
Explain the diet planning for different age groups.
4. CHAPTER OUTLINE
Balanced diet: Introduction and definition
Principles and steps
Steps in planning balanced diet
Food groups: Basic four food groups
RDA: Definition
Limitations
Uses
Food exchange system
Calculation of nutritive value of food
Dietary fibers
Meal planning; menu planning
5. INTRODUCTION
Good nutrition is essential for good health
throughout life from prenatal stage to old age.
Some nutrient are required in large amount and
others in small amount. A balanced diet should
provide approximately 50-60% of total calories
from carbohydrates, 10-15% from proteins and
20-30% of total calories from fat.
6. DEFINITION
A balanced diet is a diet that contains
different types of foods in certain quantities
and proportions that the needs of energy,
amino acids, vitamin, mineral, fats,
carbohydrates and other nutrients is
adequately met for maintaining health,
vitality and general well being.
7. HEALTH BENEFITS OF A BALANCED DIET
Healthy eating increases energy, improves the way your body
functions, strengthens your immune system and prevents weight
gain. The other major benefits are.
A balanced diet meets your nutritional need. A balanced diet
provides the nutrients you need to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Prevent and treat certain diseases. Healthful eating can prevent the
risk of developing certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart
disease.
8. It is also helpful in treating diabetes and high blood pressure.
Following a special diet can reduce symptoms, and may help you
better manage an illness or condition.
Feel energetic and manage your weight. A healthy diet will assist you
to feel higher, provide you with more energy, and help you fight
stress.
Food is the mainstay of many social and cultural events. Apart from
nutrition properties, it helps facilitate connections between
individuals.
9. PRINCIPLE OF BALANCED DIET
Eat staple foods with every meal.
Eat legumes every day.
Eat vegetables and/or fruits every day.
Eat little fats and sugar.
Eat animal and milk products regularly.
Eat the right amount of food to keep a healthy weight and exercise regularly.
10. STEPS FOR PLANNING BALANCED DIET
The steps which involved in preparing a balanced diet are as follows:
Seek the information about the individual related to age, gender, activities,
religions, socio-economic status and food habits etc.
Calculate the RDAs for energy & protein.
Make a food plan by selecting the number of serving from each food group.
Plan the number of meals.
Distribute the serving for each meals.
Plan a menu.
Recheck the number of food group and requisite amounts.
11. BASIC GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING
BALANCED DIET
Include 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates. 10-
15% from protein and 20-30% from fats.
Energy from cereals should not be more than 75%.
Include two cereals in one meal i.e. rice and wheat.
The ratio of cereal to pulse protein should be 4:1.
The diet should consist of at least 100ml milk per day.
12. FOOD GUIDES
There is a requirement of certain guidelines for planning the
balanced diet and amount of nutrients required for the
maintenance of good health. Food groups, exchange list and
RDA’s are guidelines stating the amount and kind of
nutrients, so they are called daily food guides. These
guidelines help to plan diet for special groups and type for
therapeutic diets in various diseases.
13. FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID
The food guide pyramid was designed as an easy way to show the group of food for a good diet. The food
guide pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day based on dietary guidelines. It is the general guide which
helps a person to choose a healthy diet.
14. RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES (RDA)
DEFINITION OF RDAs
“The intake of Nutrient derived from diet which keeps nearly all
people in good health”.
“Nutrient present in diet that satisfies the daily requirement of nearly
all individuals in a population”.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for total fats is 20-35% of
Calories from fats.
15.
16. USES OF RDAs
These are useful to evaluate the adequacy of national food supply.
These are useful for setting standards for menu planning, for funds and for
various nutritional programmes e.g. midday meal and ICDS etc.
It is used to evaluate the nutritional policy for public assistance, nurseries and
homes.
It is used to interpret the adequacy of diet in food consumption, studies and
surveillance.
It is used to develop the material for nutrition education.
It is used for setting guidelines for formation of new products and location of
specific food.
It is used to develop food guides.
17. FOOD EXCHANGE SYSTEM
Four/five food group system permits an individual to plan a
menu as per RDA’s. This food exchange system is equally
important. The food exchange list are used in meal planning
to make a quick and accurate estimation of nutritive values
of diets. These are used to calculate the energy, carbohydrate,
fat and protein content of meals.
18. POINT TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE USING FOOD EXCHANGE
SYSTEM:
The food in five groups can be broadly classified into six exchange lists.
Each list consists of food of specific serving, sizes and is standardized in
terms of energy, proteins, fats and carbohydrate.
A particular food is placed in the list based on its energy or protein content.
Individual foods on the same list may be exchanged for each other but not
foods of different list.
19. IMPORTANCE OF EXCHANGE LISTS
This system allows one to choose a variety of foods with adequate
nutrients.
This list allows one to make a wider choice in selecting food within
energy exchange. The food exchange system can be used to select
foods in familiar measures that are adequate in nutrients and satisfy
the requirement of a given individual.
The exchange list were first published by a joint committee of the
American Dietics Association and the US Public Health Services in
1950 and were revised in 1976.
