What is a Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet is a diet consisting of the proper quantities and proportions of foods needed to maintain health or growth. Someone who is attempting to eat a balanced diet, consumes a variety of foods at specific portions in order to fulfil their nutritional needs and be healthy. A balanced diet consists of five different food groups that all provide essential vitamins and nutrients. The five food groups all offer various nutritional benefits to individuals when consumed in adequate portions. The five food groups are listed below.

What are the Five Food Groups in a Balanced Diet?

1. Fruit

2. Vegetables

3. Grains

4. Proteins

5. Dairy

1. Fruit

The first food group item in a balanced diet is fruit. Incorporating fruits into one’s diet is very important, in which it provides many health benefits.  People who consume a variety of fruits daily, are improving the health of their diet and putting themselves at less of a risk for chronic diseases. Many of these health benefits stem from the essential nutrients in fruits that keep the body healthy and functioning. Nutritionists recommend eating 2-4 servings of fruit each day.

Examples of Fruits to Add to Your Diet:

·      Berries [raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries]

·      Melons [watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew]

·      100% fruit juice

It is necessary to consume 2-4 servings of fruit each day because, again, fruit is highly nutritious. Fruits contain important vitamins, minerals, and other compounds including beneficial antioxidants. Consuming the right amount of fruits each day will increase fiber, potassium, and vitamin C intake to those who may be lacking in those nutrients. Additional health benefits of fruits include, lower sodium, fat, calories, and is cholesterol free. Fruit is also a perfect convenient snack for college students because it is packed with fiber and water which makes it a filling food item containing a low number of calories.

Four Health Benefits of Eating Fruit:

·      Controlling blood pressure

·      Controlling cholesterol

·      Improving gut and digestive health

·      Fighting off certain cancers

2. Vegetables

The second food group in a balanced diet is vegetables. Along with fruits, consuming the proper portions of vegetables each day provides significant health benefits to the consumer, because they contribute to a healthy balanced diet. This is because vegetables are an important source of vitamins and minerals. Nutritionists recommend eating 3-5 servings of vegetables each day.

Along with the importance of the quantity of vegetables consumed, it is just as important to consume a variety of vegetables. While out shopping for vegetables, it is important to consider the color of the vegetables. Consuming a variety of vegetables that are different colors, provides different phytonutrients, which are beneficial substances in plants. Not one single vegetable can provide the necessary nutrients to stay healthy. Therefore, consistently eating different types and colors of vegetables will supply nutritional value to the consumer. A great way college students can increase their intake of vegetables is adding a variety of vegetables to a salad, have a side of vegetables with meals, or include them in smoothies. This is a simple way for students to easily reach their necessary vegetable intake each day.

Examples of Vegetables to Add to Your Diet:

·      Leafy greens [kale, spinach, cabbage, and romaine lettuce]

·      Legumes [chickpeas, green peas, and lima beans]

·      Red and orange vegetables [red bell peppers, carrots, and pumpkin]

·      Starchy vegetables [sweet potatoes, peas, corn, beets, and butternut squash 

Nutrition specialists have found vegetables to be the source of many health benefiting nutrients. Research shows, vegetables are filled with immune-boosting antioxidants. Along with that, vegetables also contain other various healthy nutrients such as:

·      Fiber: helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and lowers risk of heart disease.

·      Potassium: helps maintain healthy blood pressure.

·      Vitamin A: keeps eyes and skin healthy to protect infections.

·      Vitamin C: helps heal cuts and wounds and helps absorb iron easily.

3. Grains

The third food group in a balanced diet is grains. Grains are harvested seed of grass such as wheat, oats, rice, and corn. Grains are key ingredients in many foods. Grains are eaten very often almost in every meal. Eating the correct portion of grains each day is important because they include healthy nutrients such as carbohydrates. Nutritionist recommend 6-11 servings of grains each day.

Carbohydrates are essential to fueling the body and the brain. Kayla Kaspari, a food technologist at Glanbia Performance Nutrition, explains, “carbohydrates such as grains, are a vital energy source… out of all the calories you eat in a day, 45-65% should be carbs”. In addition to carbohydrates, grains are a source of key vitamins and minerals. The healthiest kind of grains are whole grains, which are key contributors to a healthy diet. Whole grains provide the best source of fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, selenium, potassium, and magnesium. Overall, grains are a vital food source for college students, as it is a major source of energy in which will help with performance in the classroom.

Examples of Grains to Add to Your Diet:

·      Popcorn

·      Oatmeal

·      Brown rice

·      Quinoa

4. Protein

The fourth food group item in the balanced diet is protein. Protein is a macronutrient that plays a major role in building muscle. Protein promotes healthy muscle function and development. Protein is commonly found in animal products, nuts, or legumes. When consumed at the proper portion, protein is very beneficial to one’s health. Dieticians recommend eating 2-3 servings of protein each day.

Examples of Protein to Add to Your Diet:

·      Chicken

·      Turkey

·      Fish

·      Beef

·      Eggs

·      Nuts

Protein is everywhere, and it is very important to human health. Every cell in the human body contains protein. Everyone needs protein in their diet to help their body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is essential for human development and growth, in which, it is a necessary nutrient for children, teens, and pregnant women to be consuming. Additionally, when it comes to protein, it is imperative for college students to consume the adequate portions, because research has found, protein strengthens neural connections, or synapses located in the adult brain, which improves memory and learning.

Furthermore, it is important to eat protein each day because, it is a main source of amino acids. Proteins consist of molecules known as amino acids. Amino acids are what makes up a protein. Proteins are also broken down into amino acids during digestion. The human body needs a certain number of amino acids to maintain good health. Food technologist Kayla Kaspari, explains, the acceptable macronutrient distribution range for protein is 10-35% of everyone’s daily calories. She then goes on to explain, that it is important to get a wide variety of different protein sources, in order to get all the essential amino acids. Kaspari then stated, “this is especially important to know as a complete protein can be found in animal products, which contains all of the essential amino acids our bodies need to grow and develop. Incomplete proteins which can be found in animal-based sources are missing one or more of the essential amino acids”. People must understand which protein foods pair together to create a complete protein.

Along with muscle growth and development, protein is responsible for many health benefits to consumers of the proteins. High protein intake promotes and maintains weight loss, lowers blood pressure, and significantly boosts metabolism. Protein boosts the metabolism and increases the burning of calories. Adequate protein intake can help burn about 80-100 more calories each day.

5. Dairy

The fifth and final food group item in a balanced diet is dairy. Dairy is food products made from milk specifically produced often from a cow’s milk. Dairy is an important part of the food group because it contains many essential vitamins, minerals, and calcium which is very important to human health. Dieticians recommend consuming 2-3 servings of dairy each day.

Examples of Dairy to Add to Your Diet:

·      Milk

·      Yogurt

·      Cheese

It is essential to consume 2-3 servings of dairy each day because dairy produces numerous health benefits, especially building and maintain strong bones. Foods in the dairy group provide nutrients that are viral for the maintenance of one’s body. These nutrients are calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein. Additionally, dairy products are responsible for being the main source of healthy nutrients for people in the United States. Research shows, on average, milk, cheese and yogurt contribute 54% of calcium, 56% of vitamin D, 14% of potassium, 18% of protein, 29% of vitamin A, 27% of vitamin B12, 25% of riboflavin (B2), 12% of magnesium and 17% of zinc to the U.S. diet, but only 11% of total calories. It is important to consume dairy because it is a main source of all of these important nutrients.

How Portion Sizes Vary from Person to Person

After learning the necessary portions of the five food groups and the importance of a balanced meal, it is important to note, these balanced diet portion recommendations are not a one size fits all. These recommendations vary from person to person. Kale Grunloh, sports nutrition specialist at Supplement Superstore explained, “a well-balanced meal is going to be different for everyone… the best way to get a baseline for each person without measuring out food is to use hands as a way to measure”. Grunloh then goes on to explain to measure protein, one should portion the size to their palm. People of different sizes, require different serving sizes for food. The larger the individual, the larger the portion needed.

Summary

Overall, college students everywhere struggle with eating the correct proportions of healthy foods, and it impacts their present and future health. With that, it is essential to human health to maintain a balanced diet consisting of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy every day to maximize health benefits and reduce risk of chronic disease.