Are You Eating A Well-Balanced Diet? Nutritionist Explains How You Can Strike A Balance

Have you ever looked at your plate to check whether the ratio of important nutrients is fine or not? Eating a well-balanced diet is essential to ensure optimum intake of essential nutrients. But it sometimes becomes difficult to maintain this balance. A good combination of seasonal veggies, protein and carbs is helpful in maintaining overall health as well as body weight. Changing the portion size of each food can help you receive optimum nutrients. Nutritionist Lovneet Batra explains in her IGTV how to maintain a healthy food ratio in your daily meals including lunch and dinner. Read here to know steps you can easily follow.

How to consume a well-balanced meal?

Nutritionist Batra tells, "We try to stay healthy and eat right but we forget to look at our plate. When you pay attention to your plate, you'll notice that 75% of your plate is carbs and the rest is veggies or proteins. You need to make sure your food ratio is right."

You can reduce your carb intake by replacing one-third of it with a seasonal veggie and one forth of it with a protein like paneer, chicken, dal or yogurt.

Balanced diet: Add enough protein to your every meal
Photo Credit: iStock

"Basically, aim for a plate that has more veggies, some protein and some complex carb instead of it being the other way round," Batra writes in her post.

Also read: Egg Whites, Sesame Seeds And Other Superfoods That A Nutritionist Consumes Daily

What are the benefits of maintaining this balance?

As per the nutritionist, you will feel lighter, fresher and energised for long period after consuming a meal in the right ratio.

Appropriate intake of fibre ad protein will also keep you full for longer and keep you satiated for longer. It will also reduce the consumption of unnecessary calories.

Also read: Here's Why You Should Swish And Spit With Coconut/Sesame Oil Every Morning

Complex carbs will also nourish you and eating them in the right ratios will increase the nutrient density of your meals, Batra tells.

Other tips to ensure to achieve well-balanced diet-

Choose healthy snacks- Eat a bowl fresh fruits to add a variety of nutrients to your diet. You can top your yogurt or oats with freshly sliced seasonal fruits.

Add nuts to your diet- Nuts are also power-packed with nutrients. But these are high in calories hence, should be consumed in moderation.

You should avoid eating refined grains, highly-processed foods, added sugar, too much salt and unhealthy fats.

(Lovneet Batra is a Delhi-based Nutritionist)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.