Definition of Balanced Diet
In our nutrition, we keep getting those nutrients from our food by digesting them, which are continuously consumed in the metabolism of body cells. Therefore, the characteristics of our body's growth, health, activity, entrepreneurship, age etc. depend on the quality and quantity of our diet. That's why there is an old saying that "you are what you eat".
It is clear that in our diet, all the different types of nutrients should be in such a proportion that all the different needs of our body are continuously fulfilled. Such a diet is called a balanced diet.
Caloric value of food
➤ The metabolic utility of food is expressed in units of thermal energy called calories. A small calorie (cal. or c) is the amount of heat energy that increases the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C.
➤ There is one large calorie—kcal. or C, ie kilocalorie—of 1000 small calories. It contains so much thermal energy that it raises the temperature of one kilogram of water by 1°C.
➤ The energy required to keep the body alive is obtained from the oxidative breakdown of three categories of macronutrients-carbohydrates, proteins and fats i.e. metabolic oxidation (catabolism). Metabolic oxidation of 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein yields 4 kilocalories and catabolism of 1gram of fat yields 9.3 kilocalories of energy.
Healthy Eating
➤ If we keep consuming all the energy we get from food continuously in our biological activities, that is, "energy input is equal to energy output", then our body remains healthy.
➤ Is. Scientists have found that infants and old people need about 1600 kilocalories of energy, older children about 2200 and young people about 2800 kilocalories for normal daily routine. People doing physical labor require more energy according to the extent of labor.
Read more: How to Develop a Healthy Eating Plan
➤ Scientists have also found that about 50 to 60% of the energy of the daily requirement in Indians is met by carbohydrates, 25 to 30% by fats and 15% by proteins.
➤ According to these statistics, it is necessary to have 400 to 500 grams of carbohydrates, 60 to 70 grams of fats and 65 to 75 grams of proteins in our food items. Therefore, in order to determine a healthy, balanced diet, it is necessary to first know the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in our different categories of food items.
These quantities are as per the following table-
➤ As is clear from the table, our different categories of food items contain different proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. According to this, a balanced diet of vegetarian Indians of different ages, sexes and life-styles should have such a combination of quantities of different categories of food items that the energy requirements of all parts of the body are met.
For such a combination of different food items, their required quantities in grams are shown in the following table-
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