A Guide to a Balanced Diet

Nowadays, most of us tend to consume food without considering its nutritional value. Numerous cafes and restaurants are booming with their unique menus and signature dishes. We try what’s on trend---donuts, pizza, chips, milk tea, coffee, fries, processed food, etc. I bet you’ll answer one of those if asked about your favorite food and cravings, right?

Guess you’re smiling at the back of your mind, saying “Yeah, you got me! It’s mouth-watering plus it’s appetizing.” I get it. It’s delicious, but is it healthy? Is it good for our body to just fill it up with junk foods? Think carefully. You ain’t getting any younger so the best favor that we can do for ourselves is to invest on our body by maintaining a healthy eating pattern.

Having a balanced diet means designing food menu that contains normal proportion of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, mineral, fats, etc. or basically following the Food Pyramid.

Here are some tips on how to ensure proper consumption of balanced diet:

Following New Food Pyramid Guide

1. EAT REGULARLY:

• Vegetables

• Fruits

2. EAT GENEROUSLY:

• Rice

• Cereals

• Whole grain

• Bread

• Root crops

• Pasta

3. EAT MODERATELY:

• Beans and nuts

• Dairy Products

• Meat

• Fish

• Poultry Products

4. EAT SPARINGLY:

• Fatty and Oily food

• Sweets

• Salty and Spicy food

Amount of consumption for each meals

 Eat heavy Breakfast (eat like a beggar)

 Eat moderate Lunch (eat like a commoner)

 Eat light Dinner; (eat like a queen) at least 3 hours before bedtime.

 Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day; 2 glasses every meals and regularly drink in between (even if you are not thirsty!)

 Avoid drinking coffee, tea, soda and alcoholic drinks especially before going to bed.

 Avoid processed food or adding artificial flavoring to your food.

To complete the guide on how to maintain balanced diet, here is a sample 1 day-menu you can try. I chose easy-to-prepare and common meals so that anyone interested can actually follow it, you can also use substitute within the same food group depending on your preference or availability:

Breakfast

(06:00 am – 07:00 am)

2 pieces small-sized bananas

1 serving sautéed squash and red beans (use vegetable oil if available)

2 poached egg

2 cups fried rice

1 glass low-fat milk

AM Snacks:

1 small cup plain or non-fat yogurt

1 serving Berries (Blueberries, strawberries or raspberries)

Lunch

(11:00 am – 12:00 nn)

1 serving Chicken breast (roasted or baked)

1 serving Green Salad (Lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes with light dressing)

1 ½ cup unpolished rice

1 glass apple shake, unsweetened

PM Snacks:

Unsalted peanuts (boiled or roasted)

Honey lemon juice

Dinner

(06:00 pm – 6:30 pm)

2 slice Pineapple

1 serving Beef steak with light sauce

2 medium-sized potatoes (Mashed or baked)

Okay, so that’s it. I hope this will help especially nowadays that we are trying to build healthy body and strong immune system . With proper diet plus exercise, we can achieve this. Share with your family and friends and encourage each other to take on the challenge and start ditching unhealthy, junk food.

PS: I’m not a diet expert or what, I am just sharing basic knowledge that I acquired from school, research, reading and by asking my Aunt who’s a Registered Nutritionist and Dietitian (RND).