Balanced Meals

One way to define a balanced meal is a meal that sufficiently supplies your body with the nutrients, minerals and vitamins that it needs. Face it, not all bodies are the same and neither are all dietary needs. There are a few common threads that run through a balanced meal however, such as getting enough Vitamin C, D and E and also the minerals you need to nourish your muscles and nerves as well. If you need help doing this there are on-line sites that can give you diet lay-outs and provide advice from nutritionists as well.

Fruits and vegetables are the main source of all your vitamins and minerals. While this is a good thing, it can also lead to overdoing it on some food sources. For example if you have cancer and are on blood thinners, you don't want to eat a lot of dark leafy vegetables because they tend to counter-act the blood thinner. There are other dietary needs that may necessitate eating more or less of certain food or foods. Meats are important but they must be lean cuts and you should only have about 3 – 4 ounces a serving. Meat does provide a good source of protein which is important too.

If you are an athlete, before the day of competition you may want to do what is called 'carbo-loading.' This involves eating lots of pasta and starchy foods because they create natural sugars and lead to higher energy levels for your competition. However, this is not a good idea for the everyday person. In all, if you are careful to balance your intake of fatty foods and watch the levels of sugar you eat, you are on the right track towards having healthy, well balanced meals.