A balanced diet refers to a diet that is essential for overall good health and nutrition for anybody. It boosts immunity power and is responsible for the growth and development of human beings in a positive manner.
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 Balanced diet for six months to 1-year-old babyÂ
✓ Breast milk
✓ 1/2 cup of soft food and gradually increase the volume of food as per the baby’s appetite.
✓ Iron-rich food
✓ Animal product
✓ Green vegetables and fruits by using a vegetable sorter
✓ Solid Foods
 Balanced Diet For StudentsÂ
✓ Iron-rich food
✓ Foods containing Vitamin B & Vitamin C
✓ Red meat
✓ Eggs
✓ Whole grain bread
✓ Orange, apple, and other seasonal fruits
✓ Dry fruits
✓ Especially a diet containing carbs, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water.
 Balanced Diet for Pregnant WomenÂ
✓ Veggies, i.e., broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets, okra, spinach, peppers, and jicama.
✓ Whole grains, i.e., brown rice, millet, oatmeal, bulgur, and whole-wheat bread.
✓ Proteins, i.e., lean meats and chicken, eggs, seafood, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and tofu.
✓ Especially a diet containing carbs, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
✓ Green vegetables, seasonal fruits, and enough water.
 Balanced Diets to eat after a 60-year-old personÂ
✓ A diet containing Sugar-free, saturated fats, and less sodium
✓ Protein-rich foods
✓ Diary-product
✓ Green vegetables, seasonal fruits, and enough water
✓ Whole grains
 Tabular Representation of Vitamins with Vitamin-Rich FoodÂ
| S.N | Vitamins | Disease caused by low-vitamin | Â Disease caused by excess-vitamin | Vitamin-Rich Food |
| 1. | A |
✓ Night blindness ✓ Dry skin ✓ Infertility ✓ Delayed Growth ✓ Throat and chest infection ✓ Poor wound healing
|
✓ Hypervitaminosis A
|
✓ Leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables ✓ Red bell pepper ✓ Cantaloupe, mango ✓ Fish oils, Milk, Eggs
|
| 2. | C |
✓ Scurvy ✓ Bumpy skin ✓ Fatigue
|
✓ Kidney stones ✓ Diarrhea ✓ Nausea
|
✓ Citrus (oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit), Bell peppers. ✓ Strawberries ✓ Tomatoes ✓ Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower) ✓ White potatoes
|
| 3. | D |
✓ Rickets ✓ Osteomalacia
|
✓ Hypervitaminosis D
|
✓ Oily fish ✓ Egg yolks ✓ Red meat
|
| 4. | E |
✓ Crohn’s disease ✓ cystic fibrosis ✓ Betalipoproteinemia ✓ Ataxia
|
✓ Bleeding risk
|
✓ Wheat germ oil ✓ Sunflower, safflower, and soybean oil ✓ Sunflower seeds ✓ Almonds, Peanuts, peanut butter ✓ Beet greens, collard greens, spinach ✓ Pumpkin, Red bell pepper
|
| 5. | K |
✓ Bleeding ✓ Poor bone development ✓ Osteoporosis ✓ Cardiovascular diseases
|
✓ Jaundice ✓ Hyperbilirubinemia ✓ Hemolytic anemia ✓ Kernicterus in infants
|
✓ Green leafy vegetables ✓ Soybean and canola oil ✓ Salad ✓ Fortified meal replacement shakes
|
| 6. | B(Thiamine) |
✓ Beriberi
|
Liver damage ✓ Jaundice ✓ Stomach ulcers
|
✓ Fortified breakfast cereals ✓ Pork, Fish, Beans, lentils ✓ Green peas, Enriched cereals, bread, noodles, rice ✓ Sunflower seeds, Yogurt
|
| 7. | B(Riboflavin) |
✓ Chronic diarrhea ✓ Malabsorption syndromes ✓ Liver disorders ✓ Hemodialysis ✓ Peritoneal dialysis ✓ Chronic alcohol use disorder
|
✓ Turns urine into bright yellow color
|
✓ Dairy milk, Yogurt, Cheese ✓ Eggs, Lean beef, and pork ✓ Chicken breast, Salmon
|
| 8. | B(Niacin) |
✓ Pellagra
|
✓ Hypertension ✓ Liver damage ✓ Hepatitis ✓ Abdominal pain
|
✓ Red meat ✓ Poultry, Fish, Brown rice ✓ Fortified cereals and bread ✓ Nuts, seeds ✓ Legumes, Bananas
|
| 9. | B(Pantothenic Acid) |
✓ Fatigue ✓ Insomnia ✓ Depression ✓ Irritability ✓ Vomiting ✓ Stomach pains ✓ Burning feet ✓ Upper respiratory infections
|
✓ Diarrhea ✓ Gastrointestinal Problems
|
✓ Fortified cereals ✓ Meats, Mushrooms ✓ Avocados, Nuts, seeds ✓ Dairy milk, Fortified cereals ✓ Meats, Mushrooms ✓ Avocados, Nuts, seeds, Dairy milk
|
| 10. | B(Biotin) |
✓ Thinning hair ✓ Scaly skin rashes around eyes, nose, mouth ✓ Brittle nails
|
✓ excreted by the urine
|
✓ Organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts ✓ Vegetables like sweet potatoes
|
| 11. | B6 |
✓ Microcytic anemia ✓ Electroencephalographic abnormalities ✓ Dermatitis ✓ Depression and confusion ✓ Weakened immune function
|
✓ Peripheral neuropathy ✓ Dermatoses ✓ Photosensitivity ✓ Dizziness ✓ Nausea
|
✓ Beef liver, Tuna, Salmon ✓ Fortified cereals, Chickpeas, Poultry ✓ Vegetables and fruits, incredibly dark leafy greens, bananas, papayas, oranges, and cantaloupe
|
| 12. | B12 |
✓ Anemia
|
✓ Chronic myelogenous leukemia ✓ Promyelocytic leukemia ✓ Polycythemia vera ✓ Hypereosinophilic syndrome
|
✓ Fish ✓ Meat ✓ Poultry ✓ Eggs ✓ Dairy products
|
| 13. | B(Folate) |
✓ Megaloblastic anemia
|
✓ Increases the risk of cancer
|
✓ Dark green leafy vegetables ✓ Peanuts, Sunflower seeds, Fresh fruits, fruit juices ✓ Whole grains ✓ Aquatic foods
|
 Tabular Representation of Minerals with Mineral-Rich FoodÂ
| S.N | Minerals | Disease Cause by Low-minerals | Disease Caused by excess-minerals | Mineral-Rich Food |
| 1. | Calcium |
✓ Rickets, osteoporosis, and osteopenia,
|
✓ Weaken bones ✓ Kidney stones ✓ Disturb the function of the heart and brain ✓ Overactive parathyroid glands
|
✓ Dairy (cow, goat, sheep) ✓ fortified plant-based milk ✓ Almond, soy, rice, Cheese, Yogurt ✓ Calcium-fortified orange juice, Winter squash, Edamame ✓ Tofu, Canned sardines, salmon Almonds
|
| 2. | Phosphorus |
✓ Muscle weakness ✓ Respiratory and heart failure ✓ Seizures ✓ Comas
|
✓ Chronic kidney disease ✓ Hypoparathyroidism ✓ Metabolic and respiratory acidosis
|
✓ Dairy products, meats, and poultry ✓ Fish, eggs, nuts, legumes ✓ Vegetables and grains
|
| 3. | Potassium |
✓ Hypokalemia
|
✓ Heart attack or even death
|
✓ Dried fruits Spinach, broccoli ✓ Beet greens ✓ Avocado, Bananas
|
| 4. | Sodium |
✓ Hyponatremia
|
✓ High blood pressure ✓ Heart disease ✓ Stroke
|
✓ All vegetables and dairy products ✓ Meat, shellfish
|
| 5. | Chloride |
✓ Heart failure ✓ Lung disease ✓ Addison disease ✓ Metabolic alkalosis
|
✓ Dehydration ✓ Kidney disease ✓ Metabolic acidosis
|
✓ Seaweed, rye, tomatoes ✓ Lettuce, celery, and olives
|
| 6. | Magnesium |
✓ High blood pressure and heart disease ✓ Diabetes ✓ Osteoporosis ✓ Migraine headaches
|
✓ Kidney failure
|
✓ Pumpkin seeds ✓ Almonds ✓ Spinach ✓ Cashews, peanuts, and rolled oats, cooked in unsalted water
|
| 7. | Iron |
✓ Iron deficiency anemia
|
✓ Liver disease ✓ Heart problems ✓ Diabetes
|
✓ Nuts, dried fruit, wholemeal pasta, and bread ✓ Iron-fortified bread and breakfast cereal ✓ Legumes, oats, tofu
|
| 8. | Zinc |
✓ Acrodermatitis enteropathica
|
✓ Metal fume fever
|
✓ Meat, fish, and seafood
|
| 9. | Iodine |
✓ Thyroid disease
|
✓ Thyroid nodules ✓ Hyperthyroidism ✓ Autoimmune thyroid disease
|
✓ Seaweed, Fish, shellfish ✓ Ionized Dairy, Eggs, Beef liver, Chicken
|
| 10. | Chromium |
✓ Diabetes ✓ Heart disease
|
✓ Sinusitis, nasal septum perforation, ✓ Allergic and irritant dermatitis, skin ulcers, ✓ Respiratory irritation, bronchitis, asthma, ✓ lung cancer
|
✓ Meats, grain products, fruits ✓ Vegetables, nuts, spices ✓ Brewer’s yeast, beer, and wine
|
| 11. | Copper |
✓ Anemia ✓ Neutropenia
|
✓ Wilson disease
|
✓ Shellfish, seeds, and nuts ✓ Organ meats, wheat-bran cereals, whole-grain products, and chocolate
|
| 12. | Fluoride |
✓ Dental caries ✓ Osteoporosis
|
✓ Chronic fluorosis
|
✓ Brewed black tea and coffee ✓ Fluoridated water ✓ Canned shellfish like shrimp and blue crab ✓ Oatmeal, Raisins, Potatoes
|
| 13. | Molybdenum |
✓ Molybdenum cofactor deficiency
|
✓ gout-like syndrome
|
✓ Legumes. Whole grains, rice, nuts, potatoes ✓ Bananas and leafy vegetables ✓ Dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese ✓ Beef, chicken, and eggs
|
| 14. | Manganese |
✓ Epilepsy ✓ Mseleni disease ✓ Down’s syndrome ✓ Osteoporosis ✓ Perthest disease
|
✓ Difficulty walking ✓ Facial muscle spasms ✓ Irritability ✓ Aggressiveness ✓ Hallucinations
|
✓ Whole grains, clams, oysters, mussels ✓ Nuts, soybeans, and other legumes ✓ Rice, leafy vegetables, coffee, tea
|
| 15. | Selenium |
✓ Keshan disease (a type of heart disease) ✓ Male infertility
|
✓ Hair and nail loss or even brittleness ✓ Nausea ✓ Diarrhea ✓ Skin rashes ✓ Mottled teeth ✓ Fatigue ✓ Irritability ✓ Nervous system abnormalities
|
✓ Pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish
✓ Shellfish and eggs ✓ Beans and nuts |
 Frequently Asked Question On a Balanced DietÂ
 1. What is the importance of a Balanced Diet in the human body?Â
✓ Supplies enough energy to be active throughout the day
✓ Good source of nutrition for growth and repair
✓ Boosts immunity
✓ Protects from diet-related illness, i.e., cancer
✓ Makes you strong and healthy
✓ Helps to Protect from every disease
 2. What is the basic concept of a Balanced Diet?Â
✓ The basic concept of a balanced diet is consuming various foods properly to maintain good health and a healthy body.
 3. What is the most important rule of a Balanced Diet?Â
✓ The most essential rule of a balanced diet is not skipping any meals.
✓ Skipping meals means lowering metabolic rate since you must include three important meals with two snacks throughout the day by never skipping a healthy breakfast.
✓ Apply the 80/20 rule, which means eating nutritious food 80% and rest 20% eating your favorite treat.
 4. How many calories are essential for a healthy human being?Â
Since calories vary depending upon age, physical activities, metabolism, etc., but generally:
✓ 2,000 calories essential for women per day, and
✓ 2,500 for men per day
 5. What is the barrier to eating a Balanced Diet?Â
✓ Taste preference
✓ Time scarcity
✓ Financial aspect
✓ Lacking awareness
✓ Diet confusing
 6. Why should we eat more vegetables?Â
✓ To keep the biological cycle of the body regular
✓ It lowers blood pressure
✓ Protect from heart disease and stroke
✓ Reduce eye and digestion problems
✓ Maintain sugar level in blood
 7. What kind of food is good for breakfast?Â
✓ Eggs
✓ Nuts and nuts butter
✓ Tea or Coffee
✓ Greek yogurt
✓ Berries
✓ Flaxseeds
✓ Oatmeal
✓ Whole wheat toast
✓ Cottage cheese
✓ Avocados, etc.
