Why is a Balanced Diet Important?
As you know the purpose of consumption of food is the principle of life survival strength and energy and it is the basic need of life of every living being this food fulfills the needs of the body whether it is its physical growth. Be it the principle of physical strength, she provides it all
Many nutrients are contained within the foods we constitute. Its main components include proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, salts, and water. The body needs food and when it comes to food, it is said that the body needs a balanced diet. Let’s discuss what is meant by a balanced diet.
What is a balanced diet?
A balanced diet contains all the components of a diet, but it does not mean that all nutrients are present in equal amounts. Rather, it means that all the nutrients are present and their ratio is to the body’s nutritional needs. Because so many of these components vary according to the body’s needs, this change can also be due to the weather and the nature of the individual’s work. During the summer, the body needs more water, in this regard, the food consumed in the summer contains more ingredients that contain more water and heat is low Similarly, the body needs more heat in winter, so the amount of heating organs is increased in the food consumed in winter And the amount of watery ingredients is reduced.
People who do more strenuous work have more energy needs, so they need more energy-providing carbohydrates in their diet. And those who do mental work should have more brain-powering ingredients in their diet. Similarly, the physical needs of children are different. Children need a diet that is high in starch and proteins to meet the needs of their rapidly growing bodies.
Similarly, the nutritional requirements of the elderly are different, their physical systems are weakened and slowed down, and accordingly, they need more food. The nutritional needs of women and men are also different. Compared to women, men need more food. More refers to the amount of food, but this is normal. A mother needs a special diet as compared to a woman because now she needs the food of the baby growing inside her womb in addition to herself.
Thus, it has been proved that a balanced diet does not mean the presence of all the components in the food, but it means that it fulfills all the needs of the body and the ratio of all the nutrients in it according to the physical needs. be For any diet to be balanced, it is also important to cook it properly to get the right results. Some ingredients are such that if they are overcooked, their nutrition is lost. Especially if vegetables are overcooked, their nutrition is affected. Similarly, fried foods take longer to digest than low-fat boiled foods.
A healthy young man needs 2600 calories per day and a young woman needs a slightly lower 2400 calories. Following are the charts that meet the daily requirements
Balanced Diet Chart:
| Nutrients | Quantity |
| Meat, eggs, fish, pulses, Animal that is meat, and vegetable food should be in equal quantity | 200 grams per day |
| Foods containing starch or carbohydrates are flour rice etc | 450 grams per day |
| Fat, butter, ghee, animal and vegetable oils should be equal in proportion | 60 grams per day |
| vegetables, fresh fruits etc | 300 grams per day |
| water | 2 liters per day |
The chart above shows the average daily requirements of a typical young person. It can be reduced according to the principle of a balanced diet, physical requirements, weather, nature of work, and age
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/healthy-balanced-diet