What Is a Balanced Diet?

 A balanced diet is one that gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. In order to get the proper nutrition from your diet, you should obtain the majority of your daily calories from:

• fresh fruits
• fresh vegetables
• whole grains
• legumes
• nuts
• lean proteins

What Are Calories?

 The number of calories in a food is a measurement of the amount of energy stored in that food. Your body uses calories from food for walking, thinking, breathing, and other important functions. The average person needs to eat about 2,000 calories every day to maintain their weight.

 The following examples of daily calorie intake are based on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines:

 

• children ages 2 to 8: 1,000 to 1,400 calories
• active women ages 14 to 30: 2,400 calories
• sedentary women ages 14 to 30: 1,800 to 2,000 calories
• active men ages 14 to 30: 2,800 to 3,000 calories
• sedentary men ages 14 to 30: 2,000 to 2,600 calories
• active men and women over 30: 2,200 to 3,000 calories
• sedentary men and women over 30: 1,800 to 2,200 calories

 A balanced diet is important because your organs and tissues need proper nutrition to work effectively. Without good nutrition, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and poor performance. Children with a poor diet run the risk of growth and developmental problems and poor academic performance. Bad eating habits can persist for the rest of their lives.

 The USDA reports that four of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States are directly influenced by diet. These are:

• heart disease
• cancer
• stroke
• diabetes