Staying healthy does not really mean a world without diseases alone, but it also involves the whole well-being of an individual in terms of physical, psychological, mental, and social health. This healthy living or life style can be achieved if only you can develop the habit of doing healthy activities like exercise and also eating foods that are rich in essential nutrients; these essential nutrients are only found in whole foods and in balanced diets. Balanced diets are meant for both adults (men and women) and children; it is very important to eat a balanced diet on a daily basis to live healthy, happy and free of diseases. For you to maintain a balanced diet, you need to cut out foods that contain salt, sugar, artificial and synthetic additives which can bring about ill health.

People of different age groups and genders require different amounts of daily nutrients supply. Also, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, men, children, athletes and sick peoples nutritional requirements are totally different from the requirement of others; it is therefore important to identify these needs and meet them for a proper supply of nutrients in the body. Additionally, there is no specific time to eat a balance diet; balanced diet can be eaten at any time of the day provided it is available, Start giving your body the needed nutrients through healthy meals and expect the reward of living a healthy and diseases free life every day.

What is a balance diet?

A balanced diet is a healthy diet that consists of all the varieties of nutritious foods and limited amount of sugar and fats, this diet is essential for constant supply of nutrients to all parts of the body and to help build healthy cells, tissues and organs. Balance diet is sometimes refers to an adequate diet, it consists of adequate proportion of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats and mineral. Water is also included in a balanced diet list since it has its own vital function. Carbohydrates and fats are essential nutrients that provide energy, while proteins are needed for repair and regulation of organs and tissues of the body. Proteins bind and carry atoms and small molecules within cells and throughout the body. Vitamins and minerals on the other hand help the body to carry out metabolic function and water is needed for hydration and transportation of nutrients round the body. All these six food groups are termed balanced diets if they are supplied in their right proportion. Plant based foods have the largest supply of balanced diets, while animal foods serve as a useful complement to most diets since they do not contain all the diets needed for healthy function.

Healthy balanced diet

To maintain a healthy balance diet means that you have to make good food selection from the six classes of food, even if you are the type that loves sugary, fatty or salty food, you would have to adjust your eating habit by cutting down some of these excess additives from your diet. These are some of the characteristics of healthy balance diets-

1. Healthy balanced diets are foods that provide you with complete nutrition and sufficient calories.
2. Healthy balance diets are whole foods that have not been highly processed and they dont contain artificial additives, these foods are rich in complete nutrients because they are organically grown.
3. Healthy diets are common foods that are affordable and readily available all year round even in a local market and store, such foods include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, lean meat, seafood, herbs and spices, olive oil fish oil and vegetable oil etc.
4. These foods taste really good and not overly sweet like most processed foods and they have natural flavour too.
5. These are foods that have higher content of nutrients compare the calories content
6. Healthy balanced diet can be gotten from plant and animal foods. Plants have a lot of healthy and essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre which are important for heart health and can assist in other health conditions, these offers are mainly gotten from both vegetables and fruits.
   You can train yourself to eat a generous portions fruits and vegetables every day by including them in every meal you prepare to stay healthy.

Importance of balance diet

1. A healthy balance diet is a diet that contain mineral, vitamin, protein and other nutrients and it is very important for early growth and developments of kids
2. Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential nutrients like minerals, vitamin and dietary fibre and these nutrients may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer and they are also essential for healthy teeth, gum development and provide bones, clear vision and youthful skin for an individual.
3. The cells, tissues and organs need healthy nutrients to function properly, these nutrients are found in plant based foods and they support healthy immune function. Without adequate nutrition, the body is exposed to fatigue, malnutrition, infection and poor performance.
4. The body would definitely feel healthy and able to carry out specific activities when it is constantly nourished with healthy balanced meals.
5. Poor diets can bring about obesity and other chronic diseases which can affect growth and the level of metabolic function; however, a balance diet does the opposite.
6. Balanced diets can be gotten from simple and natural foods around us; they contain the needed nutrition in their natural state. Balanced diets gotten from plants and animals have a way of diverting your appetite from unhealthy fats, sugar, salt and other artificial additives found in processed foods which can easily attract weight gain.
7. Proper weight maintenance is possible by eating nutritional foods that are low in calories, fats and sodium.

Balanced diet food list (component of a balance diet)

A healthy balanced diet is categorized into vegetables, fruits, seafood meats, grains, legumes, nuts seeds, dairy products, herbs and spices.

Vegetables

1. Broccoli
2. Carrots
3. Cabbage
4. Bell peppers
5. Lettuce
6. Beet root
7. Pumpkin
8. Spring onions
9. Okra
10. Onions
11. Tomatoes
12. Onions
13. Plantain
14. Irish
15. Yams
16. Potatoes
17. Parsley
18. Celery
19. Eggplants
20. Mustard
21. Cauliflower
22. Mushrooms
23. Green peas
24. Green beans
25. Maize
26. Corns
27. Kale
28. Sweet potatoes
29. Squash
30. Fluted pumpkin
31. Spinach

Fruits

1. Bananas
2. Oranges
3. Pawpaw
4. Water melon
5. Sweet melon
6. Strawberries
7. Blueberries
8. Olive fruits
9. Avocado
10. Apples
11. Pears
12. Date palms
13. Raspberries
14. Apricots
15. Figs
16. Pineapples
17. Star apples
18. Kiwifruits
19. Grape fruits
20. Cantaloupe
21. Lemon/lime
22. Mangoes
23. Cucumbers

Grains and legumes

1. Brown bean
2. White bean
3. Red beans
4. Soybeans
5. Lentils
6. Pinto beans
7. Lima bean
8. Pinto beans
9. White rice
10. Brown rice
11. Millet
12. Rye
13. Whole wheat
14. Barley
15. Quinoa

Nuts and seeds

1. Coconuts
2. Peanuts
3. Cashew nuts
4. Walnuts
5. Palm nuts
6. Tiger nuts
7. Pumpkin seeds
8. Sesame seeds
9. Beniseeds
10. Flaxseeds
11. Sunflower seeds
12. Almonds

Poultry and grass fed meat

1. Sheep
2. Goat meat
3. Beef
4. Rabbit
5. Chicken
6. Turkey

Seafood

1. Tuna
2. Salmon
3. Codfish
4. Sardines
5. Shrimps
6. Prawns
7. Crayfish
8. Periwinkles
9. Crabs
10. Catfish
11. Snails

Eggs and diary product

1. Pasture raise eggs
2. Cow milk (grass -fed)
3. Cheese
4. Yoghurt

Herbs and spices

1. Nutmeg
2. Peppers
3. Garlic
4. Ginger
5. Curry
6. Turmeric
7. Cumin
8. Onions
9. Thyme
10. Sage
11. Oregano
12. Peppermint
13. Rosemary
14. Coriander
15. Parsley
16. Basil

Healthy balanced meal recipes

Healthy fruit smoothie

1. Smoothies–smoothies are another are blend of whole food (fruits or vegetables) which are loaded with essential nutrients. Taking a cup of healthy fruit smoothie once in a while especially after exercise is another wayof absorbing healthy diet from fruits. Smothies are also beneficial for weight loss.

Natural fruit punch made with sorrel plant and fruit

2. Natural fruit punch– natural fruit punch (Zobo drink) is another way getting a healthy diet, instead of the normal vodka, sorrel leaves can be used to prepare healthy fruit punch and healthy herbs like ginger can be added to make this natural drink.

A healthy vegetable soup

3. Vegetable soup- balance diet can also be gotten from a rich soup like oha soup which is usually made with various proteins (seafood and goat meat), vegetables, healthy oil, spices and served with carbohydrate. other soups like afang, pumpkin, editan, edikaikongand many others are rich with the essential nutrients that the body needs for healthy maintenance because they are prepared whole ingredients.