Health & a Balanced Diet

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) defines a balanced diet as consuming the right kinds and amounts of food and drink in order to fuel the body's efforts to maintain cells, tissues and organs, in order to support healthy growth and development. Given the nation's obesity and overweight epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) places focus on eating a balanced diet to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

Calories

• A key component of a balanced diet, according to the CDC, is consuming the proper amount of daily calories. To maintain your body weight, the CDC notes that you must strike a caloric balance, which means you consume about the same number of calories as you burn. To lose weight, you will need to create a caloric deficit, in which you eat fewer calories than you burn. In order to lose a pound, you must shed 3,500 calories over time through diet, exercise or both.

Fiber

• Vegetables are high in fiber.

  Fiber is present in most of the foods widely recommended as part of a balanced diet. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are primary sources of fiber, explains the Mayo Clinic. Mayo doctors tout fiber for several health reasons, including its ability to produce regular bowel movements, maintain overall colon health, lower cholesterol levels and help control blood sugar levels. Fiber also aids in weight loss because foods that contain significant amounts of it tend to be low in calories relative to their size. You can eat more of a food containing fiber, helping you feel full longer.

Whole Grains

• Whole grain items are a key facet of a balanced diet. Not only do whole grains contain fiber, but they also house larger amounts of key health-producing nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium, than their refined counterparts. For instance, a slice of whole wheat bread contains about twice the amount of protein and more than two times the fiber content of white bread, notes Mayo Clinic experts.

Protein

• Eggs and milk are high in protein.

  We all need protein as part of a balanced diet, though the Mayo Clinic advises that meat is probably not the best source. Vegetarians, for instance, tend to consume fewer calories, weigh less and have lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you consume 2,000 calories per day, Mayo experts say you should consume between 50 and 175g of protein daily. Non-meat sources include eggs, milk and tofu. If you eat meat, limit red meat and stick to poultry and fish.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Due to their tendency to eat meat, UMMC claims that most Americans consume about 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. This is a cause for concern, warns UMMC. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish reduce inflammation and can decrease your heart disease, stroke and cancer risk. Omega-6s, found mainly in meat, promote inflammation. While we need both as part of a balanced diet, UMMC suggests tipping the scales in favor of omega-3s.