Class IX, BIOLOGY, "Balanced Diet"

Balanced Diet

A diet containing essential dietary components in the correct proportion, which helps to maintain health and fulfills the body requirements of organisms, is known as balanced diet. The degree to which any particular meal is adequate in providing energy from food depends on the nature of the job of a person.

A common man’s diet is said to be suitable if it provides 50% calories from carbohydrates, 40% from fats, and 10% from proteins. Carbohydrates are abundantly used foods because they are readily available and cheaper as compared to fats and proteins. We can live without carbohydrates it our diet has all the components of food and is capable to provide total calories required by the body. Fats are taken in our diet to obtain energy. Our daily food requirement varies with sex, age and occupation e.g. children need more food because they are growing. Youth need more food than elderly people due to physical exertion. Men need more food than women. Pregnant women, lactating mother’s convalescents need more food as compared to others.