Q: Can I get a daily diet chart?

A:One of the key factors in maintaining good health is eating balanced diet and maintaining a calorie balance. Caloric requirement depends on a number of factors like height, weight, sex, age, existing nutritional status and physical activity. To maintain an optimal body weight, the calorie intake and expenditure must be balanced. It is most desirable that your caloric requirement is determined on an individual basis keeping in mind the above factors. A daily diet and activity plan should be prepared in consultation with a doctor or a dietician, as this requires individual counselling. However, for your information, given below is a small note on Balanced diet and suggested intakes. Balanced Diet A balanced diet is one, which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It can be achieved through a blend of different food groups. The different food groups that should be included in the diet so as to get the necessary nutrients are cereals and millets, pulses, fruits & vegetables, milk and milk products, meat & meat products, sugar and fat. In addition, a balanced diet should provide non-nutrients like fibre, which provide positive health benefits. The diet that one consumes must provide adequate calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Since the nutritional requirement varies, it is best to consult a dietician to prepare an individualised diet keeping in mind the age, sex, physical activity, the nutritional status, etc. Daily guidelines of foods required from different food groups [approximate quantities] for adult woman [as per dietary guidelines for Indians, Indian Council of Medical Research] Cereals 300 g (Wheat, Rice, Millets) Whole grain cereals like wheat flour, unpolished rice, dalia, oats are preferred as they provide fibre. Pulses for a vegetarian 60 g for a non-vegetarian 30 g Sprouting/fermenting grams helps to improve the vitamin content and improve the availability of iron to the body Egg / chicken / fish 30 g (in addition to pulses for a non-vegetarian) Provide good quality proteins, essential vitamins and minerals Vegetables (minimum) 300 g Vegetables having orange, yellow and green flesh are preferred (e.g., pumpkin, carrot, beans, peas and saag) Fruits (minimum) 100 g Fruits which are orange/ yellow coloured on the inside (e.g. papaya and ripe mangoes) and other fruits like amla, guava and oranges are a good source of vitamins A and C Milk & milk products 300 g Good quality proteins and calcium are derived from milk Sugar 20 g Concentrated source of energy Fats(oil/ butter/ ghee) 20 g Oils are a concentrated source of energy *Amounts in (g) refer to edible portion in the uncooked form