A Balanced Diet Plan for a Balanced Life

The easy way to healthy living is following a balance not only in your life but also in the food we eat and all this can be done by following a balanced diet plan.

You hear it all the time; “you need to eat a balanced diet for weight loss” – but what IS a balanced diet, really?  Does that mean just eliminating all junk food?  Does that mean eating a salad every day?

A “balanced diet” means eating the recommended amount of foods from each of the primary food groups.  A “balanced diet for weight loss” means eating those foods but also making sure you aren’t eating more calories than your body needs each day.

Here are the recommended servings from the main food groups:

Grains – this group includes bread, pasta, rice, and cereal.  The recommended serving of this group is between 6-11 servings a day, and a serving size is one slice of bread, 1 cup of cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta.

Vegetables – The recommended serving of vegetables is 3-5 servings a day.  A serving size is 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, or 1 cup of leafy vegetables like lettuce or spinach leaves.

Fruit – The recommended serving of fruit is 2-4 servings a day, and a serving size is one small piece (banana, or apple), 1/2 cup of cubed fruit (like melon), or 1/2 cup of berries or grapes.

Dairy – The recommended serving of dairy products is 2-3 servings a day.  A serving size is 1 cup of milk, or 1 ounce of cheese.

Meat/Protein – The recommended serving of meat/fish/protein is 2-3 servings a day, and a serving is 3 ounces of meat, 1 egg, 1 ounce of nuts, or 1/2 cup of cooked beans.

All other foods, like fats, oils, and sweeteners should be kept to a minimum.

A balanced diet for weight loss will include the above foods, but remember that calories count.  If you stick to the low end of the serving sizes and choose light or low-fat versions of each food, you should be able to lose weight easily, especially if you are also including daily exercise in your routine.

So the right combination of complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and vegetables is the perfect balanced diet plan.

Featured Diet Plan: The Lunch Box Diet

When I first heard about a diet that reported to help you lose 12lbs in 7-21 days by eating from a plastic food container, I was a little dubious to say the least. But after further investigation and seeing the results that The Lunch Box Diet provides, you'll start to understand why it works.

The diet has been devised with ease of use in mind and without the need to count calories, prepare silly meals or have you wandering around the super market having to pick out ingredients you'd never use in everyday life. In fact, most of the foods you'll be used to, except, well, it's the way you eat them. You see the secret is the box.

Click here to find out more about The Lunch Box Diet.