This is “What Is Nutritional Balance and Moderation?”, section 2.2 from the book An Introduction to Nutrition (v. 1.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here.
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Achieving a healthy diet is a matter of balancing the quality and quantity of food that is eaten. There are five key factors that make up a healthful diet:
A healthy diet is one that favors whole foods. As an alternative to modern processed foods, a healthy diet focuses on “real” fresh whole foods that have been sustaining people throughout the millenniums. Whole foods supply the needed vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber that are essential to good health. Commercially prepared and fast foods are often lacking nutrients and often contain inordinate amounts of sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats, all of which are associated with the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other illnesses. A balanced diet is a mix of food from the different food groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, protein foods, and dairy).
An adequate diet is one that favors nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foodsFoods that contain many nutrients per calorie. are defined as foods that contain many essential nutrients per calorie. Nutrient-dense foods are the opposite of “empty-calorie” foods, such as sugary carbonated beverages, which are also called “nutrient-poor.” Nutrient-dense foods include fruits and vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. Choosing more nutrient-dense foods will facilitate weight loss, while simultaneously providing all necessary nutrients.
Does your diet contain nutrient-dense foods? Record your eating habits for one week. Note the sugary, fatty, and calorie-heavy foods you most often consume. Look at Table 2.2 "The Smart Choice: Nutrient-Dense Food Alternatives" to decide what you can substitute those foods with.
Table 2.2 The Smart Choice: Nutrient-Dense Food Alternatives
Instead of… | Replace with… |
---|---|
Sweetened fruit yogurt | Plain fat-free yogurt with fresh fruit |
Whole milk | Low-fat or fat-free milk |
Cheese | Low-fat or reduced-fat cheese |
Bacon or sausage | Canadian bacon or lean ham |
Sweetened cereals | Minimally sweetened cereals with fresh fruit |
Apple or berry pie | Fresh apple or berries |
Deep-fried French fries | Oven-baked French fries or sweet potato baked fries |
Fried vegetables | Steamed or roasted vegetables |
Sugary sweetened soft drinks | Seltzer mixed with 100 percent fruit juice |
Recipes that call for sugar | Experiment with reducing amount of sugar and adding spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc…) |
Source: US Department of Agriculture. “Food Groups.” http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/.
With careful planning, a balanced diet providing optimal nutrition can be achieved and maintained.
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Balance the foods in your diet. Achieving balance in your diet entails not consuming one nutrient at the expense of another. For example, calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones, but too much calcium will interfere with iron absorption. Most foods that are good sources of iron are poor sources of calcium, so in order to get the necessary amounts of calcium and iron from your diet, a proper balance between food choices is critical. Another example is that while sodium is a vital nutrient, an overabundance of it can contribute to congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Remember, everything must be consumed in the proper amounts.
Eat in moderation. Moderation is crucial for optimal health and survival. Burgers, French fries, cake, and ice cream each night for dinner will lead to health complications. But as part of an otherwise healthful diet and consumed only on a weekly basis, this should not have too much of an impact on overall health. If this is done once per month, it will have even less of an impact upon overall health. It’s important to remember that eating is, in part, about enjoyment and indulging with a spirit of moderation. This fits within a healthy diet.
The number of calories consumed should always match the number of calories being expended by the body to maintain a healthy weight.
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Monitor food portions. For optimum weight maintenance, it is important to ensure that energy consumed from foods meets the energy expenditures required for body functions and activity. If not, the excess energy contributes to gradual, steady weight gain. In order to lose weight, you need to ensure that more calories are burned than consumed. Likewise, in order to gain weight, calories must be eaten in excess of what is expended daily.
Scientific evidence confirms that a diet full of fresh whole foods reduces the risks for developing chronic disease and helps maintain a healthy weight.
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Variety involves eating different foods from all the food groups. Eating a varied diet helps to ensure that you receive all the nutrients necessary for a healthy diet. One of the major drawbacks of a monotonous diet is the risk of consuming too much of some nutrients and not enough of others. Trying new foods can also be a source of pleasure—you never know what foods you might like until you try them.
Table 2.3 Food Choices for a Healthful Diet
Grain | Vegetable | Fruit | Dairy | Protein |
---|---|---|---|---|
Whole-grain products, brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, millet, wild rice, oats, rye berries, sorghum, bulgur, kasha, farrow, wheat berries, corn, amaranth, spelt, Teff | Dark green: broccoli, collards, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, watercress | apples, apricots, bananas | all fluid milk (fat free, low-fat, reduced-fat, whole milk, lactose-free), fortified soy milk, yogurt | Meats: beef, ham, lamb, pork, veal |
Red and orange: Acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes | Berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, mangoes | Hard natural cheeses: cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan | Poultry: chicken, goose, turkey, duck | |
Beans and peas: Black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, split peas, white beans | Melons: cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon | Soft cheeses: ricotta, cottage | Eggs | |
Starchy: Cassava, green bananas, green peas, green lima beans, plantains, potatoes, taro, water chestnuts | Other fruits: nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, plums, prunes | Beans and peas: (see vegetable column) | ||
Other vegetables: Asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, green peppers, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips | Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts | |||
Seafood: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, pollock, porgy, salmon, sea bass, snapper, swordfish, trout, tuna | ||||
Shellfish: scallops, muscles, crab, lobster |
Source: Adapted from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/protein-foods.html.
Different Types of Grains
In this video, a registered dietitian discusses the benefits of eating whole grains.
http://www.ehow.com/video_4983984_different-types-grains.html
Widening your food palate will increase your intake of vital nutrients.
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Developing a healthful diet can be rewarding, but be mindful that all of the principles presented must be followed to derive maximal health benefits. For instance, introducing variety in your diet can still result in the consumption of too many high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods and inadequate nutrient intake if you do not also employ moderation and calorie control. Using all of these principles together will afford you lasting health benefits.