From the above discussion it is clear that Protein, Carbohydrates, fats, minerals, Vitamins, etc. are important ingredients of food and lack of these in our diet has a negative effect on our body.
“A Balanced diet can be defined as one which contains different types of foods in such quantities and proportions that the need for calories minerals, vitamins and others nutrients is adequately met and small provision is made for extra nutrients to withstand short duration of leanness.”
Every person needs (i) Energy giving food (ii) Body Building food (iii) Protective food from his daily diet. A balanced diet means a diet, which contains all the above constilveats in needed quantity, in accordance with the requirements of age, sex, constitution of the body, the type of work and climatic conditions.
No rigid rules can be laid down about the actual requirements of diet by a person everyday. The proportion and percentage of the various constituents of diet depend upon the occupation, physical condition, sex, age and climate, generally a person requires about 3200 calories of heat energy in order to maintain the proper function of the body.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
These 3200 calories should be given by a proper combination of food elements. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be in the proportion of 1: 1: 3. The proportion differs in accordance with the physical conditions and nature of work.
Children, heavy workers, tall and fat persons require more food. Similarly, people living in cold countries consume larger quantity of food than people living in warm countries.
Diet of man and boys is more than the diet of woman and girls. Persons, who do a lot of mental work, should take less carbohydrate but more proteins.