Striking a balance between different food groups and paying attention to portion sizes is key to preparing a truly balanced meal. (Source: Unsplash)
Food is fuel, they say, and the better you eat, the healthier you stay. But, in a frenzy to stay healthy, the world is busy running behind new diet and wellness trends, including farm-to-plate organic diets.
We often use the words healthy and balanced interchangeably, but did you know that in the world of nutrition, they don’t necessarily mean the same? A clinical expert helps us decode the two terms, and shares her blueprint for an ideal diet.
Healthy vs balanced meal:Which is better in terms of nutrition?
Garima Dev Verman, a certified nutritionist and medical content analyst with The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), said that a balanced meal has a mix of different foods, with a variety of nutrients, in the right amounts.
“A healthy meal ensures you’re getting essential nutrients, while a balanced meal ensures you’re getting a variety of nutrients in the right proportions. So, neither is necessarily “better” than the other; it depends on your individual nutritional needs and preferences,” she said.
Portion sizes can be an issue, with some people overeating certain foods while under-serving others. (Source: Unsplash)
Where do people generally go wrong?
Verman said, “People either focus too much on one food group or neglect certain nutrient-rich foods altogether. This imbalance can result in meals lacking essential nutrients or being too high in certain nutrients, like unhealthy fats or sugars.”
Portion sizes can be an issue, with some people overeating certain foods while under-serving others. According to her, striking a balance between different food groups and paying attention to portion sizes are key to preparing a truly balanced meal.
Key components of a balanced meal
To meet basic Indian nutrition goals, it’s important to include a variety of key components in your meals.
Verman recommends starting with a generous portion of seasonal vegetables and fruits that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Next, one should incorporate whole grains like rice, whole wheat and millets (such as ragi, jowar, and bajra), for energy and important nutrients. “Include protein-rich foods such as lentils (dal), legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans), nuts, seeds, dairy products (milk, yogurt, paneer), eggs, fish, and lean meats to support tissue building and repair,” she says.
The nutritionist suggested using healthy fats in moderation. Ghee, mustard oil, coconut oil, and nuts are essential for brain health and hormone production. Dairy products or fortified alternatives like soy milk ensure adequate calcium and vitamin D for bone health.
Spices and herbs such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and garlic not only add flavor to meals but also offer health benefits such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Stating the importance of hydration, she encourageed people to include traditional beverages like buttermilk, coconut water, and herbal teas in their regular diet.
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FAQs
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Why do people find it difficult to follow a balanced and nutritious diet? ›
Making smart food choices is important at any age. But eating healthy can be difficult even if you know which foods you should buy and prepare. Your budget, physical issues, mood changes, and dietary restrictions can be roadblocks to eating food that's best for you.
Why do doctors say that we must have a balanced diet? ›
A varied, 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. It is also helpful in treating diabetes and high blood pressure.
Is about eating a healthy and balanced diet? ›
A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.
What happens if the food we eat is not a balanced? ›
Nutrient Deficiencies
If you consume foods that don't provide enough nutrient value, your nutrient levels will start to decline. There are many, many dangers of a nutrient deficiency, including digestion problems, defected bone growth, anaemia and skin problems.
Does every meal have to be balanced? ›
It also does not mean every meal needs to look like this! If some days we eat more or less of a food group, it can still be balanced out over the week. Processed food, such as chocolate, cake, chips, biscuits, etc., can be part of a healthy and balanced diet too, in moderation of course.
Why is it bad to not have a balanced diet? ›
A balanced diet supplies the nutrients your body needs to work effectively. Without balanced nutrition, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance. Children who don't get enough healthy foods may face growth and developmental problems, poor academic performance, and frequent infections.
Can lack of balanced nutrition lead to disease? ›
Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are leading causes of death in the U.S. Unhealthy diet contributes to approximately 678,000 deaths each year in the U.S., due to nutrition- and obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
What causes people to not eat healthy? ›
Some people don't have the information they need to choose healthy foods. Other people don't have access to healthy foods or can't afford to buy enough food. Public health interventions that focus on helping everyone get healthy foods are key to reducing food insecurity and hunger and improving health.
Should I eat if I feel hungry? ›
The only way to feel less hungry is to eat. And if you want to learn to eat intuitively, you must commit to eating when you're hungry. Every time. That means eating regular meals, and snacking throughout the day.
Replacing some meat with vegetables and grains is an effective way to reduce protein intake. Vegetables and grains should form the main body of meals, with a supplementary protein source. A person following a low-protein diet can get most of their calories from the foods below, which are relatively low in protein.
What is the healthiest diet in the world? ›
The Mediterranean diet has been ranked the healthiest way to eat by US News & World Report. The eating plan is flexible, full of whole foods and plants, and is linked to longevity benefits. Experts say the best diets are easy to follow, not restrictive, and focus on unprocessed foods.
What happens if you don't eat balanced meals? ›
A balanced diet supplies the nutrients your body needs to work effectively. Without balanced nutrition, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance. Children who don't get enough healthy foods may face growth and developmental problems, poor academic performance, and frequent infections.
Is it true or false we must take a balanced diet? ›
The correct option is A True. Balanced diet: A balanced diet is a diet that focuses on providing all the nutrients that the body needs. It comprises nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Do we really need to eat all the time? ›
There is a lot of confusing advice about the “optimal” meal frequency. According to many experts, eating breakfast jump starts fat burning and 5–6 small meals per day prevent your metabolism from slowing down. But studies actually show mixed results and it is not clear that more frequent meals help you lose weight.
Is it healthy to always be on a diet? ›
Most diets, regardless of their particular nature, result in short-term weight loss that is not sustainable. Weight cycling or recurrent weight loss through dieting and subsequent weight gain (yo-yo effect) can be harmful for mental and physical health for both healthy weight and overweight individuals.
Striking a balance between different food groups and paying attention to portion sizes is key to preparing a truly balanced meal. (Source: Unsplash)
Portion sizes can be an issue, with some people overeating certain foods while under-serving others. (Source: Unsplash)
