Balanced Diet Chart

To maintain a healthy body, it’s important to follow a balanced diet plan which comprises of all the basic nutrients required by our body. Therefore, here is a daily balanced diet chart which contains food items to be included in your daily diet plan.

A balanced diet is a key element for a long and healthy life, but selecting the right diet plan can be an intimidating task. A diet is considered to be balanced if it consists of the right proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and also meets the calorie requirements of our body. However, following a balanced diet chart doesn’t mean one has to starve or eat tasteless and bland food. Therefore, to lose weight and to stay fit, you need not have to try tons of fad diets. Rather, you should follow a balanced diet plan and eat everything in moderation.

For maintaining the optimal body weight, one must keep a track of the daily calorie intake, which should neither be too low, nor too high. Hence, the healthiest combination for a balanced diet is low fat, low refined carb + healthy carbs + moderate protein i.e. approximately 50 percent of calories should come from complex carbohydrates, 20 percent from protein and remaining 30 percent from fat. Since most of us are unaware of the correct proportions of nutrients and minerals required in the body, our bodies consequently lack them. This eventually leads to various health related problems and debilitating diseases like cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke. Following are some balanced diet charts containing the correct amount and variety of food items which provide the sufficient amount of nutrients for health and weight management.

Balanced Diet Chart for Adults

The chart contains a good combination of food items for a healthy diet, and hence it’s a balanced diet chart for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians.

Food Group Examples of One Serving Number of Servings Per Day

Grains Breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, bread, and noodles. 6-8 ounce equivalents
Emphasize on whole grains. I ounce equivalent equals: (the lower number is the
1 slice of bread or small muffin, 1 cup of dry cereal and serving for a 2000 calorie
1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, pasta. diet, the higher number
for 2400 calorie diet)

Vegetables Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green peas, squash, 2.5 - 3.5 cups
broccoli, spinach, green beans,sweet potatoes.
1 cup raw leafy vegetables = 1/2 cup

Fruits Apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, 1.5 - 2 cups
orange juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples,
plums, berries.

Dairy Milk, yogurt, and cheese 3 cups
The following count as 1 cup: 11/2 ounces of natural
Cheese & 2 ounces of processed cheese

Meat, eggs, nuts,
and beans Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans, and nuts. 5.5 - 6.5 ounce equivalents
1 ounce equivalent equals: 1 ounce of cooked lean meat,
poultry or fish, 1 egg, 1/2oz of nuts or seeds, 1 tbsp peanut
butter, 1/2 cup cooked dried beans or tofu.

Oils Soft margarine, low-fat mayonnaise, light salad dressing, 27 - 31 grams
vegetable oil (olive, canola, safflower, corn)


Discretionary
Calorie
Allowance After selecting nutrient dense foods from the above list, 267 - 362 calories
there is still room for a few more calories.
Fat and added sugar are always counted as
discretionary calories

Healthy Tips:

- Having a balanced diet comprising of enough fiber, pulses, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Avoiding food items containing oil or sugar as they do not benefit health, and actually increase the cholesterol
level and calorie intake in the body.
- Controlling salt intake, as excessive intake proves to be harmful for the body.
- Restricting the consumption of processed food, which comprises of calories, saturated fats, added sugar, refined grains, and artificial additives.
- Limiting consumption of aerated drinks and alcoholic beverages and more of water, juices and soups.