Balanced Diet for Adults

Awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet is present in most adults, though not many translate this knowledge into definitive action to consume a balanced diet. A balanced diet for adults includes a reasonable amount of complex carbohydrates with a high fiber content to provide the energy required for all day to day activities. The soluble and insoluble fiber facilitate in the digestion of food and easy elimination of body wastes. Adults’ dietary needs include some amount of protein too, to maintain muscle mass and ensure proper blood circulation. Small amounts of low fat dairy products and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables are included in every meal so that the body gets all the fats, vitamins and minerals that it needs from them.

Drinking adequate fluids in the form of water, juices, or soups is essential to keep the body well hydrated and the skin supple.

Healthy food for adults is not difficult or laborious to prepare once you know the kinds of foods to choose and combine to achieve the nutrition goals set. Planning and preparing a healthy diet for adults who are also physically active is the best way to reduce the risk of diet-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Food for adults should be matched to the kind of activities they perform through the day and their daily caloric requirements. For someone with a sedentary job who does not practice any vigorous sports, a low fat low carbohydrate diet may be more suitable. A proper diet for adults who are actively into sports like tennis or basketball should include plenty of whole grains, dairy products, seafood, and fruits and vegetables to give them the carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins they need for their intense physical activities. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices help to replace lost electrolytes and replenish their energy.

Diets for adults vary according to age, sex, level of physical activity, and their physical condition. A balanced diet for young adults in their teens, who are still growing, should focus on providing quality proteins to build muscle mass and provide the building blocks for growth and development. Good nutrition helps to prevent diet-related diseases and improves the quality of life for everyone in the family. A balanced diet chart for adults will have to be suitably modified to cater to the needs of a young adult in the family who practices a vigorous sport. The normal diet for adults is supplemented with additional sources of calcium, iron, and other minerals and vitamins when a woman is pregnant or is lactating. Nursing mothers need to ensure that they eat small well-balanced meals spread through the day so that their body is not forced to draw on its reserves of minerals like calcium and iron to feed the baby with nutrient rich breast milk. A balanced diet for adulthood starts with inculcating healthy eating habits in infants and young children. Encouraging children to eat fresh fruits when they want a snack between meals and to choose water to quench their thirst instead of a cola or a flavored drink with preservatives and food color, and reiterating the importance of eating a healthy breakfast, go a long way in establishing healthy diet chart for adults.

A diet for adults with ADD (attention deficit disorder) should include plenty of sea food, particularly those rich in omega-3 fatty acids like crabmeat or tuna as these fatty acids aid in the production of dopamine, a feel good brain chemical that helps calm those with ADD. Low dopamine levels have been reported for those with ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and including foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish and nuts helps to bring about the behavioral changes desired. Diet for adults with ADHD should be carefully planned to eliminate artificial colors and flavor and preservatives used in packaged sauces, spreads, and so on, as they are known allergens. It is also beneficial to eliminate fried foods and foods high in refined sugar such as pastries and chocolates in an ADHD diet for adults as eating these foods often triggers hyperactivity. A ketogenic diet for adults may be called for if the adult experiences epileptic seizures often. A ketogenic diet for weight loss is essentially a low carb diet that starves the body of sugars, forcing it to use up its fat reserves for fuel. Eating only fats and proteins puts the body into ketosis mode, enabling the liver to draw the fat from the body’s stores and burn the fat for energy. While attempting weight loss, there is a diet that recommends baby food for adults as a means to shed pounds. Baby food in jars comes without added sugar or preservatives and is low in fat and salt. Substituting a high calorie snack with a portion controlled jar of baby food may work to reduce the number of calories consumed, but significant weight loss can occur only in the long run.

When deciding on the menu for a party, do not forget to plan for finger food for adults, which are the tasty morsels that people can munch on as they chat with other guests. Finger foods can range from cheese straws to kebabs and mini quiches.

Older Adults Diet

Adults’ dietary requirements may change as they age, and older adults’ diets often include softer, easy to digest foods like pureed vegetables and soups. A BRAT diet for adults is prescribed when seniors experience gastric disturbance and diarrhea. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are foods that can be soothing when the digestive system is not functioning well. The BRAT diet is also followed as a natural weight loss program for a short period of time with supplements of vitamins and minerals to avoid the problem of malnutrition. Dietary guidelines for older adults recommend the inclusion of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods that are easy to chew and digest. A special older adults’ diet that includes eating balanced meals with seafood, yoghurt, and several servings of fruits and vegetables every day is recommended. Apart from following an older adults’ diet, one should ensure that one gets adequate exercise to remain healthy.

What should be the diet for an adult person per day?

Planning a diet for adults include variety of foods that are nutritious and easily available. An adult requires healthy diet for maintaining an ideal body weight, avoiding development of various health disorders and carrying out various functions in the body.

A basic diet of an adult person is as follows:

Early morning:

2 fiber biscuits or 2 low fat biscuits.

Breakfast:

A bowl of whole grain cereals with low fat milk and fruits added to the cereals.
Baked beans with toast and a cup of skimmed milk.
Toast sandwiches with vegetables added and a glass of fresh fruit juice.

Mid morning:

One fruit.

Lunch:

Macaroni and cottage cheese casserole . A small bowl of low fat yoghurt and green salad. A small piece of Low fat apple cake.

Early evening:

Milkshake prepared with skimmed milk and fruits. No sugar added.

Late evening:

Baked rolls with vegetables and boiled pastas added.

Dinner:

A bowl of vegetable soup or spinach soup. A bowl of fresh corn salsa. Green bean salad with fresh mint. One fruit.

When a diet plan is made for adults there are certain principles that should be followed:

As seen in the diet plan, have frequent, small meals. Do not avoid or skip a meal.
Maintain a balance between physical activity and food intake so that an ideal body weight is achieved. Simple exercise like walking, jogging or cycling can be beneficial.
Reduce the intake of fat, especially saturated fats. Foods rich in saturated fats like red meat, poultry, high fat milk butter can increase the cholesterol levels Prefer vegetables oils which contain essential fatty acids like soybean oil, ground nut oil and olive oil.
Improve the protein content of the diet. Avoid animal proteins like meat, poultry or eggs. However if he is neither obese nor overweight, he can have only egg white in moderation and avoid the yolk. Prefer plant proteins like pulses, legumes, nuts and low fat milk. Sprouted forms of pulses and legumes are beneficial for improving the nutritional quality of the diet.
Improve the fiber intake in the diet. Have whole grain cereals, sprouted legumes and fruits and vegetables with skin. Consume fruits and vegetable in the natural state as much as possible.
Improve the intake of foods that are rich in certain minerals like calcium, iron and iodine especially in women. Have calcium rich foods like milk, ragi, green leafy vegetables and iron rich foods like green leafy vegetables, dates, liver and oysters.
Limit the intake of alcohol and avoid smoking.
Have ample amounts of water and fluid for proper digestion of foods.

Submitted on January 16, 2014