A balanced diet includes

A balanced diet includes 1/3 to 1/2 of whole grains/mixed beans/potato staple foods, about a pound of colorful vegetables per day, 200-350g of fresh fruits, an appropriate amount of high-quality protein such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, milk, and beans, high-quality fats accounting for 20%-30% of the total energy supply, and the seasoning principle of less additives and less processing. The core is to flexibly adapt to the individual's physical condition, dietary preferences, and life scenes, rather than rigidly applying uniform standards.

A while ago, I helped an uncle who was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes adjust his diet. He had heard someone say that balance means eating a vegetarian diet, and he ate boiled vegetables. As a result, he fainted several times due to hypoglycemia. He really misunderstood the meaning of balance. Take the staple food as an example. You don’t need to completely cut out white rice and flour. Add 1/3 of oats, quinoa or other mixed beans such as red beans and kidney beans. The blood sugar will rise immediately. If you really don’t like the rough texture of mixed grains, you can steam corn or half a piece of tobacco potato instead of half a bowl of rice. The effect is the same, and there is no need to upset your appetite. When I used to feed my milk to her, she always thought that whole grains were harsh on her teeth. Later, I ground millet, oats, and yams into powder and steamed them into cakes. She could eat half of them in one meal, and her blood sugar was very stable. It was much more useful than forcing herself to eat whole grain porridge.

Oh, by the way, many people tend to narrow the scope of fruits and vegetables, thinking that only internet-famous “superfoods” such as broccoli, kale, and blueberries are qualified, which is really not the case. The seasonal rapeseed, eggplants, beans, and crisp peaches from the vegetable market downstairs in your home, as long as they are not deep-fried and salted in heavy oil, you can eat a pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits every day, which is much more effective than the imported frozen berries you spend a lot of money to buy. There is another controversy that has been going on for a long time: can a vegetarian diet be considered a balanced diet? In fact, as long as you combine whole grains, soy products, mushrooms, and supplement with some extra B12 and iron, it is completely possible. You don’t have to force people who don’t like meat to eat meat all the time. What suits you is the right one. There is no standard answer that you must follow.

Don’t just focus on chicken breasts when it comes to protein. Steamed fish, stewed chicken legs, braised beef, or even two pieces of northern tofu and a cup of sugar-free soy milk are all considered high-quality proteins. I once met a young man who was working out. In order to gain muscle, he ate 300g of boiled chicken breast. Not only did he become constipated, but his uric acid also spiked a lot. Later, I asked him to replace half of the chicken breast with shrimp, soft tofu and braised beef tendon. After training, he was in good condition. At least he no longer had to frown and swallow when eating. You see, balance is never about eating "correct but unpalatable" things. Only those that can be sustained for a long time are useful.

Don’t talk about fat discoloration. Use some olive oil and tea seed oil for cooking every day, grab a handful of plain nuts when you are hungry in the morning, or even eat two pieces of fat when stewing pork belly. As long as the total daily fat energy supply does not exceed 30%, there is nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, the skin will be moister than that of people who completely cut off oil, and girls will not be prone to the problem of aunt’s delay. By the way, there is another point that is easily overlooked: a balanced diet also includes a balanced seasoning. It is okay to add a spoonful of light soy sauce to a stir-fry dish to enhance the freshness, but if you eat heavy salt pickles, full sugar milk tea, and heavy oil hot pot every day, the extra sodium and free sugar intake exceeds the standard. Even if your ingredients meet the standards, it is not really balanced.

There are still two factions arguing fiercely on the Internet. One faction says that balance must be strictly calculated in grams, and every meal must be weighed to the milligram level with a food scale. The other faction says that eating whatever you want is a balanced diet. I actually stand in the middle. If you have clear health needs, such as sugar control, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy preparation, or nutritional supplementation after surgery, then there is nothing wrong with calculating the amount. ； If you are an ordinary healthy person, pay attention to the ingredients when eating. Don’t just eat white rice and noodles with fried chicken every day. Add two more bites of vegetables, and eat fish once or twice a week. In fact, it is balanced enough, and there is no need to put so much pressure on yourself.

To be honest, many people turn a balanced diet into a math problem. If they miss even one gram, they feel that they have failed. There is no need to do so. It's more like a flexible puzzle. As long as you get the few pieces you need, it doesn't matter if it's a little bit more or less, it doesn't have to be a perfect fit. If you are unhappy every day after eating according to the so-called standard recipes, then you are putting the cart before the horse - after all, diet is meant to serve people. If you feel comfortable after eating, have normal indicators, and can stick to it all the time, that is the best balance.