| A healthy balanced diet is one very | | | | Balanced Diet |
| important component of your overall | | | | Once you know how many calories you |
| health. A healthy balanced diet will | | | | need, your next step is to choose foods |
| keep you trim, give you lots of energy | | | | that will offer lots of good nutrition |
| and lower your risk of certain disorders | | | | for the amount of calories you take in. |
| such as cardiovascular diseases, | | | | For example at snack time, you could |
| diabetes and some cancers. Here are the | | | | choose a healthy food such as a cup of |
| basic steps of creating a healthy | | | | blueberries for about 85 calories or a |
| balanced diet for you and your family. | | | | small 2" diameter glazed doughnut for |
| Calories and a Healthy Balanced Diet | | | | 100 calories. Although there is only 15 |
| The calorie is a unit we use to measure | | | | calories difference between the two, the |
| the energy available in the foods we | | | | blueberries are a much better choice for |
| eat. Calories are also used to measure | | | | a healthy diet. The blueberries are |
| the amount of energy we burn throughout | | | | packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants and |
| the day with daily activities and | | | | very low in fat. The glazed doughnut has |
| exercise. In order to maintain your | | | | very little nutritional value and a lot |
| current weight, you need to take in | | | | of unhealthy fats for such a small |
| about the same number of calories that | | | | treat. |
| you burn each day. To lose weight, you | | | | Another example would be the comparison |
| need to eat fewer calories than what you | | | | of a fish selection for a meal, either 6 |
| burn each day and to gain weight you | | | | ounces of salmon or 5 fish sticks. Both |
| need to eat more calories than you burn. | | | | the salmon and the fish sticks would |
| | | | offer roughly about the same number of |
| Know How Many Calories You Need for a | | | | calories, but the salmon would be a |
| Healthy Balanced Diet | | | | better choice. The salmon is a great |
| On average an adult will need somewhere | | | | source of protein, B vitamins, and omega |
| in the neighborhood of 2000 to 2500 | | | | 3 essential fatty acids, while the fish |
| calories per day to maintain his or her | | | | sticks contain a lot of unhealthy fats |
| current weight. The amount of calories | | | | and sodium from the breading, and not as |
| you need depends on your natural size, | | | | many vitamins and healthy fats. |
| muscle mass, activity level, age and | | | | In general healthy foods are foods that |
| gender. There are calorie tables and | | | | are not covered in sauces, baked into |
| calculators that will help you estimate | | | | desserts, deep-fried, refined or |
| how many calories you need each day to | | | | processed. Here are some examples: |
| maintain, lose or gain weight. Remember | | | | An apple is healthy; a piece of apple |
| that these really are estimates since | | | | pie is not. |
| you may have differences in your | | | | A lean piece of broiled steak is better |
| metabolism that may mean you need a few | | | | than a greasy chicken-fried steak. |
| more or a few less calories. Over time, | | | | Turkey or chicken is lower in saturated |
| you will know to adjust your overall | | | | fats than red meats. |
| calorie intake up or down by monitoring | | | | Whole grain breads and cereals offer |
| your weight. | | | | more fiber than white, refined breads |
| Keep a Food Diary to Track Your Healthy | | | | and cereals. |
| Balanced Diet | | | | Olive oil has been shown to reduce the |
| If you need to lose weight, gain weight, | | | | risks of cardiovascular disease, while |
| watch your fat intake, protein intake, | | | | margarine and butter use may increase |
| or sodium intake, you will have much | | | | that risk. |
| better results if you use a food diary. | | | | Whole grain plain breakfast cereals are |
| You can print food diary pages and keep | | | | a better choice than sugar frosted |
| them in a notebook, or you can use a | | | | breakfast cereals. |
| web-based diet programs to keep track of | | | | Eating a healthy balanced diet also |
| your diet online. Start by just writing | | | | means eating a variety of foods. Choose |
| down everything you eat for 3 or 4 days | | | | foods from each of the food groups to |
| before you start a diet so you can see | | | | make sure you are getting all of the |
| how many calories you are currently | | | | nutrients that you need. Pick healthy |
| consuming, see how many healthy foods | | | | foods, not junk foods. If you are not |
| you eat now and how many unhealthy foods | | | | sure of the nutritional content of a |
| you choose as well. Once you understand | | | | packaged food, be sure to read the |
| your current diet, you will learn which | | | | Nutrition Fact food labels to understand |
| healthy foods you need to eat more of | | | | the nutritional content for the amount |
| and which ones you need to eat less of. | | | | of calories per serving. |
| Choose the Right Foods for a Healthy | | | | |