The advantage of a balanced diet is in the title it’s balanced and can give you everything you need, so you are healthy and lose weight as well.

Here are some tips on balanced diets and how they will help you lose weight.

The advantage of balanced diets is that they allow you to maintain weight control naturally rather than having to give up a food group or do to fad or crash diets which are un healthy and don’t work.

What are Balanced Diets?

Most nutrition experts agree that balanced diets are based on three basic concepts:

1. Balance

Most health professionals recommend a diet consisting of a balance as follows:

• Carbohydrate intake : 55-65%

• Protein intake 10-20%

• Fats Up to 15 - 25%

2. Moderation

Many dieting programs are successful simply because they are very good at helping people learn to plan portion size

Generally the accepted wisdom is that meals should be eaten 3 - 5 times a day and this will have the affect of decreasing hunger pangs and the desire to over eat.

You can eat the meals at anytime of day and one rule is always eat breakfast it’s the most important meal of the day.

3. Variation

All healthy diets involve the inclusion of several food-types.

The primary reason for this is by including variety in your diet, you increase your chances of obtaining the required amounts of essential nutrients you need

Vitamin and mineral composition is food-specific, so you need to eat a wide variety of foods to get all the essential nutrients for overall health.

Variation means you won’t get bored, and allows you to enjoy a variety of different foods.

If you check one of the world’s healthiest diets it’s the Japanese diet. The Japanese tend to eat a greater variety of different foods and people tend to be less obese and live longer than with any other diet

The Composition of a Balanced Diet:

Fruit and Vegetables

Eating healthily means at least 5 portions a day - this includes fruit juices in any form. Also included in this group are beans, like baked beans, pulses and lentils.

Good carbohydrates

In this group you should also aim for 5 portions daily.

This group includes cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, oats, bread and boiled jacket potatoes.

You should aim to include at least one food from this group at each meal.

Dairy Foods

In this group, 2-3 servings daily should be the aim and the group includes:

Milk, cheese and yogurt which are good but restrict the amount of butter, eggs and cream.

Meat, Fish, and Alternatives

In this group aim for 2-3 servings, this group includes:

Eggs, poultry, meat and fish and derivatives such as beef burgers and fishcakes.

You should choose lean meat such as fish or chicken without skin and only have burgers and fishcakes occasionally as treats.

Alternative sources of protein such as nuts, tofu, mycoprotein, vegetable protein and kidney beans.

Foods Containing Fat, and Foods Containing Sugar

In a balanced diet you are always best to eat naturally from the earth and only eat a small amount of processed foods are foods high in saturated fats such as butter, mayonnaise, cream, crisps and fried foods, cakes, ice cream and carbonated drinks.

It is essential to include a small amount of fat in your diet, but the emphasis should be on unsaturated fats, for example:

Olive, sunflower and corn oil and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel.


Balanced diets will lose you weight

A balanced diet will lose you weight if you learn portion control, which will allow you to eat a bit of everything including your favorites.

Man was designed to eat a balanced diet and not restrict or eliminate specific food groups.

You wont ever feel hungry you will healthy and you will lose weight quickly and keep it off.

The above are general guidelines for you to customize for your own use, just simply follow the guidelines for health and weight control.