It's not complicated to eat balanced, 
A little bit of everything every day
Let's start with an ultra simple summary, for those who would not have the desire or the courage to go into details. 

THE THEORY 
To achieve a balanced diet , traditional dietetics recommends eating every day: 
- Fruits and vegetables , at least 500 g, in any form (fresh, unsweetened compote, cooked, fresh juice and homemade soup ...). 
The more you go, the more you recommend getting your feet up on the fruit because of the sugar they contain, and the emphasis on vegetables, raw or cooked. 
- At least 1 dairy product (cheese, milk, yoghurt ...), and although more and more specialists have a controversy about cow's milk, this should not prevent you from varying the original milks to vary also the pleasures and tastes. 
- A significant source of protein (meat, eggs, fish or vegetable proteins such as soya and some legumes ...). 
The old belief of not abusing eggs has had its day, and now, we can eat up to 6 times a week without fear, and preferably bio to benefit from their nutritional contributions. 
- 1 to 2 "portions" (ie soup, hazelnut ...) of fat . 
On this point, modern dietetics is undermining beliefs firmly rooted in people's minds: stop condemning fat, and pay more attention to sugar. The body needs fat, good fat (organic olive oils, rapeseed, nuts, coconut oil, butter ...). 
- 3 servings of starchy foods and / or wholemeal bread. 
For your information, we are no longer talking about starchy foods but about carbohydrates . Clearly, consume legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas), sweet potatoes, root vegetables, whole pasta or basmati rice .... Potatoes should be consumed in moderation because of their glycemic index .

The ideal meal? 
You already know it, it's almost certain! Make a plate divided into three parts: 1 raw and / or cooked vegetable, 1 source of protein (meat, fish, egg, tofu, cheese ...), 1 serving of starchy foods and / or bread. 
You can add 1 cooked or raw fruit.

The current trend
More and more studies are showing the insidious misdeeds of sugar and any form of carbohydrate consumed in excess of the body. 
It is therefore important to pay attention to your carbohydrate intake. Know that fruits contain sugar, that the morning cereals are stuffed (even when they are complete), and that the most important for the balanced diet are vegetables for their fiber and vitamins. 
The food association is also important. Thus, you can lower the glycemic index of a food if you do not eat it alone. 
Ex: a rice cake ok, but then with a piece of avocado to bring down the extremely high GI.

Sounds monotonous to you? Complicated ? In fact, not at all, because to fill up with vitamins and minerals , it is important to vary the food. 
For example, the following two meals are perfectly balanced and are not alike! 
Meal idea 1: vegetable soup, chicken curry basmati rice, yogurt, pear 
Meal Idea 2: Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado-Tuna-Cheese Sandwich, Homemade Applesauce

Transformed products, run away!
Ready-made meals, industrial cereals and other ready-to-eat preparations are poor in micronutrients, but rich in hydrogenated fats, additives, salt and hidden sugars. 
Also, avoid them as much as possible, because most of the time, they bring empty calories, and bad nutrients, useless in terms of a balanced diet.

10 rules for eating well

Nutrition research has identified 10 dietary rules on which metabolic balances depend and thus your health in the long term. Imagine that these are pillars or foundations on which you want to build a healthy, long and sustainable life. As strong as they are!

1: Limit ultra-processed foods

This rule, very simple, aims to limit the supply of industrial origin, a source of sugar and unnecessary and potentially toxic additives. You control what you swallow when cooking fresh foods, but not when it comes to industrial foods. In addition, these foods are often predigested, extruded, excessively heated, soft, which can lead in the long run to health problems. It should also be known that processed foods may contain high levels of undesirable and toxic substances called AGEs .

2: Consume more than half of its food in plant form

This rule stipulates that more than half of its food should be consumed, by weight, in the form of raw, dried, fermented or cooked vegetables; this diet is perfectly suited to our digestive physiology and gut microbiota, that is, to the "good" bacteria that live in us and contribute to our health. By following this rule, you also optimize the fiber intake. Present in vegetables and fresh or dried fruit, cereals, pulses, fibers have an influence on blood sugar and transit.

3: Choose foods with low caloric density

The caloric density is the number of calories supplied per gram of food. Choose foods with a low caloric content, ie those which bring you a lot of matter but few calories: soups, salads, raw vegetables, fruits, vegetables as a general rule. You are satisfied faster. All the better for the line, but also for the longevity, since eating frugally increases the life expectancy in good health for all the animal species and probably also for the man.

4: Choosing foods with high nutritional density

The more nutritionally dense a food is, the more it contains vitamins and minerals for a given number of calories. This means that by eating them rather than others that provide empty "calories", you provide your body with the micronutrients it needs to give it its best. Examples of empty calories: sodas, chocolate bars, chips, crackers, refined foods ...

5: Choosing antioxidant foods

Antioxidants in a food protect cells and tissues from the aggression of toxic particles - free radicals, partly responsible for aging and degenerative diseases.Antoxidants are present in many foods: red fruits, nuts, hazelnuts ... Discover our list of "super foods" which, by their antioxidant content, curb aging every day.

6: Choose foods with a low glycemic index

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) cause low blood sugar. Compared to other foods with a high GI, this means they resist weight gain, slow down aging and prevent diabetes and some cancers. So prefer foods and even low or moderate IG meals .

7: Balancing your dietary fat

You may not know it, but the quality of the fats that we swallow, depend on many essential biological functions: the balance of the mood, the fluidity of the blood, the level of inflammation of the body. Some fats limit inflammation, counteract blood clots, and help to maintain morale. Health is in balance between the major families of fats (saturated, monounsaturated, omega-6 polyunsaturated, omega-3 polyunsaturated). We are getting closer to this balance with a simple seasoning oil, rapeseed oil.

8: Ensuring the acid-base balance

The modern diet, rich in cereals, animal proteins, salt, is generally acidifying, whereas, to function well, the body needs to be slightly alkaline. Chronic acidosis in modern diets is neutralized by kidney and respiratory functions, but less and less effectively as we age. It can then directly affect the bones, the muscles, the kidneys. It is therefore wise to avoid excessive acidifying foods, especially when you are getting older. For example, acidifying foods can be replaced with alkalizing foods to prevent osteoporosis and maintain proper muscle mass.

9: Reduce sodium and favor potassium

The current diet is too rich in table salt (sodium chloride) and too low in potassium salts. This results in a risk of hypertension, arterial stiffness and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Choose a diet that brings less salt and more potassium.

10: Eating hypotoxic

Food can be a source of potentially toxic compounds, be they pollutants such as bisphenol A, phthalates, pesticides, additives such as nitrites, phosphates, dyes.These pollutants, which have nothing to do with our diet, can cause disorders and diseases. And even when cooking you can unknowingly give birth to toxic products from totally healthy foods. This is the case when cooking at high temperature.

Eat healthy: the rules of a healthy and balanced diet!

Why should you eat "healthy and balanced"? Simply to satisfy 100% of our nutritional needs! Varying one's diet is the only way to bring all the elements necessary for the maintenance and proper functioning of the body. Reminder of some golden rules to have a healthy and complete diet.

Eat pasta with every meal or pizza every night, and you're likely to have some fiber, mineral or vitamin deficiencies! To balance your diet, just know how to compose your meals. Follow this guide to eating healthy and balanced, it's not that complicated ...

Structuring a healthy and balanced meal

Eating is above all filling up with energy in the form of lipids and carbohydrates ... but not only! The body also needs protein for making cells, fiber for intestinal transit, minerals and vitamins for growth and vitality. But no food concentrates all these nutrients at once! We must play the complementarity between different families to meet all our nutritional needs. Thus, a balanced meal should be composed with:

A portion of meat, fish or egg as a source of protein and iron (or a plant equivalent such as pulses, cereals or soya);
A dish of starchy foods, pulses or bread as a source of complex carbohydrates, fiber and minerals;
Vegetables and fruits with at least one crudity for fiber, vitamins and minerals;
A dairy product for calcium intake;
A fatty substance for essential fatty acids and certain vitamins;
Without forgetting the water , essential for the hydration and the complementary contribution of minerals.
In practice...
In America, all these foods are traditionally divided into an entrée, a main course, possibly cheese and a dessert. Here are some examples of balanced meals:


Endive salad in vinaigrette 
(raw vegetables + oil)

Lemon Tabbouleh 
(small portion of starch + oil)

Fillet of sea bream with tagliatelle 
(protein + starch + butter)

Roast pork and ratatouille 
(protein + vegetables + oil)

Yoghourt with fruits 
(dairy product + sugar)

Cheese and bread 
(dairy product + small portion of starchy foods)

Water


Learn to trick!
To make sure you do not make a mistake in the composition of the meal, first choose a product that you want at the moment, among the different food groups: for example, roast chicken. Then add it to the other food groups: for example, add a portion of rice for starchy foods, a green salad for raw vegetables and a dairy for dessert. 
With couscous or paella, the dish brings together all the food groups at once: meat, starchy foods and vegetables! So, how to do ? Just look for the missing element, that is to say a dairy and a fruit. Another example is quiche lorraine, which includes ham, eggs, milk, flour (starchy foods) and fresh cream. To accompany it, you just have to add an entree of raw vegetables and a fruit for dessert, rather than cheese that would make the meal overall too fat!

Balance over time
But the balance of food is not only on a dish, or even a meal! It takes place on a whole day, even on the week. If you eat too much or too little at one meal, you can very well restore balance to the next meal. So, the balance of food: do not make a fuss! Remember that eating is above all a pleasure and a way to ensure good health!

From calories to food: a little theory ...

The recommended caloric intake depends on sex, age and level of physical activity. Whatever the amount of these calories, it is recommended to bring 50 to 55% of the energy in the form of carbohydrates (1 g of carbohydrates = 4 kcal), 30 to 35% in the form of lipids (1 g of lipids = 9 kcal) of which 8% of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 10 to 15% in the form of proteins (1 g of proteins = 4 kcal). This corresponds, for a sedentary adult man (2100 Kcal / day) to:

290 g of carbohydrates (in bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and all sweet products);
70 g of lipids (in fat and all "hidden" lipids);
70 g of protein (in meats, eggs, fish, dairy products, pulses).
In practice: balance and moderation
No food contains all that we need in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, just as no food is to be banned completely in a normal diet. There is no food "bad", there are only bad eating habits ...

The different food groups are more or less rich in carbohydrates, fats and proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals. For the balance of food and the pleasure of eating, it is necessary to take every day food of each family according to the recommended contributions.

The food pyramid helps us visualize the part that each family of foods must represent in the contributions of a day.


In America we eat on average too many fatty foods and high protein, not enough products rich in slow sugars and not enough vegetables and fruits ... .And you?

A balanced diet: recommendations, rules, etc

A balanced diet

A balanced diet provides daily all the nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamins, water) and all the energy that the body needs, without deficiency or excess. The recommended daily energy intake for an average adult is about 2,000 to 2,500 kilocalories for a man and 1,800 to 2,000 kilocalories for a woman. However, needs vary according to age, height, weight, type of occupation, physical activity and certain circumstances (pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness). The diet should be appropriate in cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, food intolerance or other special conditions.

Calories, body energy

Cal (cal) is the unit of measure of energy that is absorbed as food or expended by the body. In nutrition, we mainly use its multiple, kilocalorie (kcal) or Calorie (Cal), equal to 1000 calories. Food labeling sometimes uses another unit, joule (J), with the match: 1 kcal = 4.185 kJ.

The recommendations of the food guide

The various nutrients ( carbohydrates , proteins, lipids , minerals , vitamins ) are distributed in four major food groups: cereal products, vegetables and fruits, milk and substitutes, and meats and substitutes. The food guide specifies the servings recommended daily for each of these groups.From one country to another, the guide varies slightly (at the level of recommended portions for example), but the order of importance of each group remains the same. Thus, it is recommended to eat significant amounts of grain products, vegetables and fruits. Dairy products and meat should be consumed with more moderation. Finally, the recommended servings vary according to age, size, sex, weight and level of physical activity.

The dietary needs of the pregnant or breastfeeding woman

The energy needs of the pregnant or breastfeeding woman are more important. In Canada, for example, the food guide daily recommends two to three additional servings from any food group. In order to prevent fetal abnormalities and anemia, he also recommends that he take a daily vitamin supplement containing folic acid and iron.

The rules of a good diet

Although many foods have a detailed label, it is not necessary to control the amounts of the various nutrients absorbed daily. Just follow the food guide recommendations for other major food groups and follow some golden rules.

• Take the three main meals each day and fill in as needed with one or two snacks.
• Eat fruits , vegetables and whole grains at every meal. They are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
• The nuts and seeds are excellent. They are sources of protein , good lipids (unsaturated fatty acids) and antioxidants.
• Limit fats, especially those used for cooking and seasoning, and those hidden in pastries, potato chips, etc.
• Steam your vegetables and meat and fish with a grill, oven, skillet, etc., adding little or no fat.Avoid fried foods.
• Prefer olive oil and canola oil. They contain good lipids.
• Limit sweets, pastries, soft drinks, etc.
• Drink plenty of water , at least 1.5 to 2 liters a day, and reduce your alcohol intake as needed.
• Limit your consumption of meat and replace it regularly with fish , legumes or soy foods.Prefer lean meat, especially poultry and pork.
• Reduce your salt intake. Season your dishes with spices and herbs instead and limit your consumption of commercially processed foods.
• Stay in control of your diet by reducing the number of restaurant meals and buying prepared foods (which often contain too much sugar, salt or fat).
• Take the time to savor the food and enjoy the meal time. Eat everything and do not abuse anything!

Food labeling

The labeling of packaged foods allows everyone to know the nutritional value of their diet. The first line of a label indicates the portion for which the nutrition data is provided. To compare two different brands, you have to compare identical portions. The amount of calories and the amount of various nutrients in that portion are then mentioned. Quantities are usually given in milligrams (mg) or grams (g), and as a percentage of the recommended value for a day. When the percentage of a nutrient is less than 5%, its dietary intake is considered low. Above 20%, it is high. When making a choice, prefer products low in sugars, sodium (salt) and saturated and trans fatty acids.

How to be healthy
1 Drink more water. 2 Respect your food sensations. 3 Eat healthily throughout the day. 4 Eat at the right time 5 Get some meat for a while 6 Read the labels