For a balanced diet, you need the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to keep your body healthy.
Know how many calories and portion sizes your body needs every day. A balanced diet also includes avoid eating too much of some foods and insufficient number of others.

Stock up on healthy foods. Avoid options like chips and candy that are high in calories and low in nutrition. Instead, have healthy snacks on hand.

Choose healthy of each of the food groups. Eat foods from each group in each meal.

Protein (meat and vegetables)

Good sources of protein include skinless turkey or chicken. Eat lean cuts of beef or pork.

Trim any visible fat.

Eat a lot of fish or seafood.

Other good sources of protein are speckled beans, black beans, lentils, chickpeas.

Nuts and seeds are part of a balanced diet. You can also eat tofu, tempeh, and other soy products.

Do not eat more than four eggs per week. Although they are a good source of protein and low in saturated fat, eggs are very high in cholesterol. Try recipes only egg whites.

Milk (milk products)

Always choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk products. Cheese is a healthy choice of this food group.

Other good sources include milk, whey cream or low-fat ice cream. Yogurt is best when it is low fat or fat free.

Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free milk or skim milk or milk products. Items such as cream cheese, cream and butter are not healthy dairy products.

Grains, cereals and fiber

Grain products are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain. Foods made with grains include pasta, oatmeal, breads, breakfast cereals, tortillas and corn bran.

Grains are divided in whole or refined grains. Choose mainly whole grain foods.

Whole grains contain whole grains and seeds are much healthier for you. These include whole wheat flour, whole wheat (shredded wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal and brown rice. Buy foods with words as whole grain or whole wheat on the package.

Refined grains have been modified to make them last longer. They also have a finer texture. This process eliminates fiber, iron and many B vitamins Refined grains include white flour, white rice or corn degermed.

Eat fewer foods that often have refined grains such as flour and pasta.

Choose whole grains rather than refined grains facts.

Products with added bran, such as oat bran or bran cereal, are a good source of fiber. Just remember that you may not be whole grain products.

Oils and fats

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature. Most of these oils are rich in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. This is the best type of oil to use when cooking.

Many healthy oils come from plants, nuts, olives and some fish. Healthy choices include canola, corn, cottonseed, olive, safflower, soybean (soybean) and sunflower.

Solid fats are solid at room temperature and all contain saturated fats. Saturated fats are less healthy for you. Often they are also full of cholesterol.

Saturated fats can be found in some foods and can also be artificial.

The fats found in animals and some fish are rich in saturated fats.

Trans fats and hydrogenated fats can be found in fried foods. They are also in some commercial baked goods such as donuts, cookies and crackers. Many processed foods and margarines also have them.

Some vegetable oils, such as coconut, palm and palm kernel, also have saturated fats.

You can reduce saturated fats in your diet. Eat only a small amount of egg yolks, hard cheeses, whole milk, cream, ice cream, butter and fatty meats.

Choose lean protein foods. Good sources are soy (soy), fish, skinless chicken, lean meat and fat-free dairy products or 1%.

Avoid frying foods, because they absorb fats from cooking oils, increasing your intake of fat. If you are in effect fry foods, use polyunsaturated oils.

Dore, broil, boil and bake the fish, chicken and lean meats.

Read food labels. Avoid those with saturated, hydrogenated or trans fats.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and are also full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help you control your weight and can also reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and water and this helps you to feel full. Replace high calorie foods with fruits and vegetables. This can help reduce the amount of calories and fat in your diet without making you feel hungry.

Be careful not to eat too many fruits, because they actually have calories.

Eat 2 cups (4 servings) of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables (5 servings) per day for an average diet of 2,000 calories a day. You can always add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Divide your dinner plate. Fill half with fruits and vegetables. Fill the other half with whole grains and meat.

Replace half the cheese in your omelet with spinach, onions, tomatoes or mushrooms.

Replace 60g of cheese and some meat on your sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

Add broccoli, tomatoes, squash, onions or chopped green peppers to your dishes instead of pasta or rice. Use frozen or canned if you do not have fresh vegetables.

When you feel hungry during the day, eat a bunch of baby carrots or an apple. Choose fresh fruit for dessert and avoid muffins, cake or pudding.

Source: www.choosemyplate.gov.