Balanced Diet Essay

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Biology- Human Physiology Essay A balanced diet is a healthy, wide variety of food in the right proportions. A diet that supplies too much of one or more nutrients is unbalanced. All the food we eat is divided into five groups: Fruits and vegetables, starchy foods, milk and dairy foods, meat, fish, eggs and beans and food containing fat and sugars. An ideal diet contains vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, water and fibre in the right proportions. A balanced diet is required to maintain or improve health. Each individual’s proportions may vary because they all have different metabolic rates and activity levels. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Starchy foods such as bread, rice and pasta contain carbohydrates which are a good source of energy. Meat, fish, eggs and beans provide vital protein and are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Meat is contains proteins, iron, zinc and B vitamins. Fish also contains protein and is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs and pulses (beans, nuts etc.) are also a great source of protein, nuts are high in fibre too. Milk and dairy products such as yogurt and cheese are sources of protein, they also contain calcium which helps to keep bones healthy. Fats and sugar are both good sources of energy for the body. They are two different types of fat, saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are common in processed foods such as pies and cakes whilst unsaturated fats are found in oily fish, nuts and seeds and are essential. They provide fatty acids and help to lower cholesterol. Correct diet differs with age, gender and activity. For example, a growing child will need more proteins than an adult male. This is because the child needs it for growth and maintenance and the adult male only for maintenance. People who lead active lives such as athletes need more calories than

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