Balanced diet standards

There is never a one-size-fits-all standard for a balanced diet. The core judgment logic currently recognized by academic circles and industry is based on the individual's age, physical condition, activity level, basic diseases and other prerequisites, and meets the three core dimensions of "adequate macronutrients, comprehensive micronutrients, and controllable metabolic burden". All dietary structures that conform to this logic can be called a balanced diet.

Speaking of this, someone must ask, are the dietary guidelines and food pyramids circulating on the Internet wrong? Of course not, it’s just that most people regard the group reference value in the field of public health as an individual standard that must be measured. A while ago, I helped a 150cm female friend who has been sitting in an office adjust her diet. She used to strictly follow the dietary pagoda and eat 250g of grains and potatoes every day. She gained three pounds in half a month and came to me to complain. The pagoda's recommended values ​​are the baseline reference for ordinary healthy adults aged 18-49 who do light physical activity. There are fluctuation ranges. Her basal metabolism is already more than 100 calories lower than the average, and she still eats according to the median. It is strange that she is not fat. On the other hand, I know an amateur bodybuilder who practices for two hours 6 days a week. If he eats 50g of beans every day as recommended by Pagoda, he will probably faint in the gym locker room after doing leg exercises.

Don’t underestimate this adaptability. Nutrition practitioners in different fields have very different priorities in determining “balance.” Experts in the field of public health pay more attention to universality, and the recommended standards are to try to accommodate the eating habits of most people, so they recommend that everyone eat more whole grains and less processed sugar. After all, according to group data, doing so can reduce the overall incidence of chronic diseases. ； When doctors in the clinical nutrition department look at balance, they must first adapt to the patient's condition. The first priority for a balanced diet for diabetics is to control the glycemic index. Even if they do not eat enough vegetables that day, white porridge and pickles are not allowed. For gout patients, the first priority is to limit purines. Even if they eat green leafy vegetables every day, they cannot afford to drink beer and eat seafood every day. ； The standards of sports nutritionists are more flexible. It is normal for people in the muscle-building period to eat 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight. During the fat-loss period, it is no problem to reduce the proportion of carbohydrates to 40% of total calories. There is no fixed numerical requirement at all.

The academic community has actually been arguing about the balanced ratio for almost half a century, and there is still no unified standard answer. The low-carb diet faction says that high carbohydrates can raise blood sugar quickly and easily induces obesity, while the low-fat diet faction says that excessive intake of saturated fat will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is a lot of research data to support both sides. It was not until 2022 that the New England Journal of Medicine published a large-sample study that tracked it for 12 years. A compromise conclusion: As long as the total calories are controlled within a reasonable range, the carbohydrate proportion is between 40% and 65%, and the fat proportion is between 20% and 30%, whether you are a high-carb person who loves to eat rice and steamed buns, or a high-fat person who loves to eat nuts and avocados, there will be no significant difference in the final health benefits. To put it bluntly, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable when eating. You don’t have to eat things you don’t like just to get the so-called “perfect proportion”.

To be honest, I have been doing nutrition consulting for almost 5 years, and I have seen too many people make a balanced diet a burden. In order to make up for the daily nutrient intake, one user used a food scale to weigh the food in grams before eating, and had to count every strawberry he ate. After less than three months, he developed bulimia and gained ten pounds more than before. In fact, for ordinary people, there is no need to make it so complicated. My usual advice to users is to focus on the three most basic feelings: when eating, half of the plate should be vegetables, one-quarter protein, and one-quarter staple food. It does not need to be accurate to the gram. ； Collect enough 25 different kinds of food in a week. You don’t have to collect it every day. It’s no problem to calculate the total accounts for the week. ； If you don't feel bloating, acid reflux, or drowsy in the afternoon after eating, and your bowel movements are normal the next day, and all indicators during the physical examination are within the acceptable range, then it is the most standard balanced diet for you.

I had gastroenteritis a while ago. According to the standard, I had to eat 300g of raw vegetables every day. I felt bloated when I ate cold vegetables. Later, I replaced half of the raw vegetables with steamed pumpkins and carrots, and added some probiotics. Although the daily raw weight of vegetables was only a little over 200g, I felt comfortable after eating. The trace element indicators of the six-month physical examination all met the standards. To put it bluntly, the ultimate goal of a balanced diet is to serve your life, not to allow you to be kidnapped by standards. After all, you eat to be full and happy, and it also needs to be able to support you running around, going to work, and staying up late to catch up on your favorite dramas. If you don’t feel happy eating just to meet the so-called standards, that’s putting the cart before the horse.