Balanced Diet and Nutrients

Balanced Diet:

The food we normally eat in a day is our diet. For growth and maintenance of good health, our diet should have all the nutrients that our body needs, in right quantities. Not too much of one and too little of the other. The diet should also contain a good amount of roughage and water. Such a diet is called a balanced diet. Pulses, groundnut, soyabean, sprouted seeds, fermented foods a combination of flour, banana, spinach, sattu, jaggery, available vegetables and other such foods provide many nutrients.

Eating the right kind of food is not enough. It should also be cooked properly so that its nutrients are not lost. If the vegetables and fruits are washed after cutting or peeling them, it may result in the loss of some vitamins. The skins of any vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and minerals. Similarly, repeated washing of rice and pulses may remove some vitamins and minerals present in them.

We all know that cooking improves the taste of food and makes it easier to digest. At the same time, cooking also result in the loss of certain nutrients. Many useful proteins and considerable amounts of minerals are loss if excess water is used during cooking and is then thrown away. Vitamin C gets easily destroyed by heat during cooking. Would it not be sensible to include some fruits and raw vegetables in our diet. But food rich in fats can be very harmful for us to eat. If we eat too much of fat rich foods and we may end up suffering from a condition called obesity.

If we eat excess of food consumed in relation to the energy that an organism expends, leading to weight gaining and often obesity such condition is called as Overeating.

The diet which contains all the essential nutrients in the right proportion is called a balanced diet. The food we eat must have all the nutrients. It should provide the required energy. Deficiency of one or more nutrients in our food for a long time may cause certain diseases or disorders.

Importance of Balanced Diet:

Balanced diet provides energy and nutrients necessary for growth and development and helps to maintain a healthy body weight.

Nutrition replenishment is necessary to balance the increased physical activity.

It helps to prevent obesity, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

Elements that affect Balanced Diet

1. Age. :- Infants and boys require more nutritious elements than adolescents and adults, mainly because their physical development speed is faster than adolescents and adults.

If we look at the sequence of physical growth, from 0 - 5 years, physical growth takes place at a rapid pace, after that the pace of development of the body slows down a bit, then increases in adolescence. It stops in old age. Due to the body growth of children, the body building speed is rapid. Hence they need more of body building protein, mineral salts.

For energy storage in newly formed cells, more energy producing elements fats and cards are necessary. Protective element of life is also necessary for the protection of the body.

.... (More Text Available, Login?)

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

Deficiency diseases can be prevented by eating a balanced diet.
A. False	B. True	C. can't say	D. none of these
Right Option : B
View Explanation

Question : 2

The Amount of food taken by an organism at a time is called diet.
A. True	B. False	C. can't say	D. none of these
Right Option : A
View Explanation

Question : 3

Not eating too much or too little means we are eating in ____________________.
A. Moderation	B. Variety	C. Balanced	D. Sufficiently
Right Option : C
View Explanation