Information provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, N.Y. (585) 461-1000

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A balanced diet is one which provides all the necessary nutrients for your body to function properly while providing the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy body weight. The nutrients that should be included in a balanced diet are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the only nutrients which supply energy, or calories. To maintain proper body weight, the calories one eats should equal the calories the body uses. Weight gain can occur when too many calories are taken in and there isn't enough physical activity to burn them.

The best way to ensure that one's diet is balanced is to eat a variety of foods each day. Different foods contain different kinds and amounts of nutrients. Eliminating one or more foods or kinds of foods from the diet can result in essential nutrients being lost. In planning a balanced diet, it may be helpful to follow the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid, established by the USDA.

A healthful diet should include 6-11 servings from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group, which makes up the large base of the pyramid, 2-4 servings from the fruit group, 3-5 from the vegetable group, 2-3 from the milk, cheese, and yogurt group, and 2-3 servings from the meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and meat alternatives group. The range in servings is due to people's different calorie needs, but this balance should provide all the necessary nutrients with a minimum of fat and cholesterol.

Although the Pyramid contains a fats, oils, and sweets group at the top, its size and position indicate that they should be eaten sparingly. Fats, oils, and sweets provide a lot of calories but not many nutrients. They should be consumed in moderation. Also remember that snacks and beverages should be counted as part of the overall diet, and may be chosen to fulfill one or more of the suggested servings from any of the groups.

Balanced diets can be planned to meet individual lifestyles. For example, vegetarian diets can be as nutritionally balanced as ones containing meat products. There are many different combinations of foods that can be eaten to provide an individual with all the necessary nutrients and the right number of calories, while also satisfying unique likes and dislikes.