How to create a balanced diet

Build your food intake around the main food groups for healthy living.  The following guidelines will show you how this can be achieved.

The optimum amount of nutrients needed to maintain health varies from person to person — depending on sex, age, height, weight and activity levels — but as a rule of thumb, about one-third of the food you eat should come from high-fibre carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes and potatoes, another third from fruit and vegetables, and the rest from fish, poultry, lean meat and low-fat dairy foods, with only limited amounts of processed fatty or sugary foods.

Super foods, such as broccoli, blueberries and salmon, contain natural ingredients with exceptional nutritional values or protective qualities.

They contain natural chemicals, compounds and nutrients that, for example, may help to protect against the impact of diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes, as well as fight the effects of aging, help to lower cholesterol levels and improve mental alertness. Super foods should form a large part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Follow this checklist of what food types to include regularly to keep your mind and body performing at their best.

1. Protein: Essential for building and maintaining muscles and internal organs, protein is also needed to build new cells and repair damaged tissue in your body. High-protein foods include lean meat, poultry, fish, seafood, low-fat dairy foods, eggs and legumes.
2. Carbohydrates: The staple of most diets, carbohydrates provide energy for your body throughout the day and as you sleep. About 50 percent of your daily energy should come mainly from whole-grain foods, such as brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread. Within this total, no more than 10 percent should come from sugary foods. The best type of sugar is found naturally in fruit and vegetables, not added.
3. Fat: Providing your body with energy and fat-soluble vitamins and protecting your vital organs are among the many roles fat has to play. Eating too much fat, though, especially saturated fat, can lead to weight problems and heart disease. The good fats are unsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Other healthy fats include omega-3s, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds.
4. Vitamins and minerals: Vitamins A, the B group, C, D, E and K are the essential nutrients for keeping your body in good working order. Major minerals (those found in relatively large amounts in the body) are iron, calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium and potassium. Vitamins and minerals appear in small quantities in lots of different foods, so a varied diet is the best way to obtain them all.
5. Dietary fibre: You need about 30 grams of fibre per day to keep your digestive system in good working order. Some types of fibre also help to lower cholesterol levels, which is vital if you want to maintain a healthy heart. Unrefined (unprocessed) plant-based foods contain the highest amounts of fibre. Good examples include whole grains, legumes such as lentils and beans, dried fruit and fresh fruit and vegetables.
6. Fluids: Water is vital for physical well-being. An average adult needs to drink almost two litres (two quarts) of fluids every day. Water is the best thirst quencher, but tea, coffee and low-fat milk are also included. Food can also supply some of your fluid requirements — many fruit and salad ingredients have a high water content.

• Fruit and vegetables: 33%
• Carbohydrates: 33%
• Protein: 12%
• Treats: 7%
• Dairy: 15%