A well-balanced diet offers you many mouth-watering food choices. With this helpful guide, you'll learn about each food group or specialized category. You'll also see how easy and fun it is to combine a wide variety of foods to create tasty meals, and a well-balanced diet.

Each of the basic food groups supplies a different combination of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.. It is important to keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and may not be appropriate for everyone. Let your own body and experience be your guide – you are the expert in knowing your own body. For example, someone with diabetes may do better with fewer starches; someone with absorption problems may need more refined carbohydrates because they can’t digest fiber; etc. And remember, variety is the key to good nutrition.

• Nuts/Seeds/Oils: these foods, in moderation, are an important part of a healthy diet. For most people, 2-4 servings are plenty. The fats found in these foods are important for maintaining good cell membranes, balanced mood, and healthy hormone levels. A serving size is 1 tsp-1 tbsp. oil or butter or nut butters, or 1-2 tbsp nuts or seeds. Healthy options include walnuts, flax, sesame, almond, and sunflower seeds.

• Proteins: This includes fish, poultry, pork, beef, dairy, eggs, and legumes (beans). For most people depending on your size and other factors, 4-6 servings is the right amount. For smaller people (110 lbs or less), 3 servings may be more appropriate, whereas for larger people (200+ lbs), 6-7 servings may be more appropriate. A serving size is about 3 oz. animal proteins or 6 oz vegetable (legume). For meat, this is about the size of a deck of cards, or the size and thickness of the palm of your hand. For beans, this is about 2/3 cup. For eggs, this is about 2 eggs. Keep an eye on quality! , Whole food versions of these foods are healthier than processed versions such as jerky or deli meats. Protein foods provide the building blocks for all of our body cells and structures (organs, muscle, skin, bone, blood, etc.) as well as our hormones, enzymes, and the chemical messengers in our bodies.

• Vegetables: There are two categories of veggies, and it’s a good idea to eat freely from both! These are leafy vegetables and crunchy vegetables. Leafy vegetables are anything shaped like a leaf – lettuces, arugula, kale, chard, spinach, etc. A serving size is ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Crunchy vegetables include broccoli, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, garlic, onion, celery, etc. A serving size is ½ cup. Shoot for at least 4 servings of veggies every day, and eat freely from this category if still hungry! Vegetables provide our bodies with necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are also important sources of anti-oxidants and other nutrients.

• Starches: This includes root vegetables such as potatoes and beets, winter squash, grains and grain based foods. A serving size is ½ cup of starchy veggies or grains (or pasta), or one slice of bread. This is the category most of us overindulge. For most of us, 4-6 servings per day are plenty. Opt for whole grain or vegetable versions of starches – brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain breads, whole steamed corn, yams, kasha, or bulgur wheat. Avoid or minimize processed and refined starches such as white bread, white rice, plain pasta, cookies, candy, and pastries. Starches provide our bodies with energy to power our cells as well as necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-oxidants.

• Fruit: This category is going to be very variable for different people. Most of us benefit from 1-3 servings per day of fruit, though it may be too much sugar for some people (especially anyone with a history of diabetes or sugar related problems). A serving size is 1 medium piece or ½ cup. Fruits are some of the richest sources of anti-oxidants, cancer fighting compounds that aid our body in protecting vulnerable tissues. Fruits also can provide our bodies with energy, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Other foods that can be incorporated into a healthy diet include seaweed, herbs and spices, herb teas, meat or vegetable broths, or fruit or vegetable juices. Also remember that in a healthy diet, moderation is the key. You can include in moderation whatever it is you enjoy eating. A glass of wine, ice cream, chocolate, are all delightful and can be included in a healthy diet, as long as they are considered recreational and are not a core part of your every meal. Healthy amounts of these types of recreational foods and drinks will greatly differ from person to person, and you should consider your own health situation when deciding what makes sense for your own body. If you have liver disease, even an occasional glass of wine may be too much. Be kind and realistic with your health and your body when making these kinds of food decisions.

Putting it all Together

One important factor for weight management and for general good health is trying for smaller, more frequent meals. You should never get to the point of feeling actively hungry! Try eating something every 2-4 hours. Most of us will do best eating light meals and/or snacks 4-5 times per day. This helps maintain balanced blood sugar and balances our overall energy levels as well.

Eat in a relaxed manner, and CHEW your food! This reduces stress, which helps you to better digest and use your food. Chewing even stimulates your nervous system to tell your digestive system to start getting ready for food – it’s like the “on” switch for the rest of your digestive system. Make time to prepare, eat, and savor meals.

Planning a Meal:

Let balance be your guide! Meals and snacks will best benefit you if they include foods containing some fiber, protein and/or fat, paired with fruit and/or vegetables. Starches can be added in as needed, but may not benefit you as much when be eaten alone – if you need something starchy, eat it with some protein or fat containing foods. Protein and fat slows the absorption of sugar into your body, which helps your body to better use the carbs in the food and makes it less likely for there to be an abrupt increase in your blood sugar. When blood sugar levels rise too quickly, it can trigger an excess amount of insulin to be released, which then causes your blood sugar to fall too low. This rapid rise and fall of blood sugar can result in fatigue, headaches, mood swings, irritability, and excessive hunger, and in the long term may contribute to the development of insulin-related problems such as diabetes and insulin resistance.

When planning a meal, there are several factors that are also helpful to consider:

1) Do you have any dietary restrictions? These may include food dislikes, food allergies or sensitivities, ethical or religious restrictions, or health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Identify the foods you don’t want to eat.

2) Do you have any nutrients you’re trying to emphasize in your diet? Folks with high cholesterol may wish to emphasize fiber in their diets, whereas women going through menopause may wish to emphasize phytoestrogen-containing foods such as soy or flax seed. Identify the foods or specific nutrients that you want to include in your meal.

3) Do you have any specific food, meal, or flavor preferences? Maybe you went to the market and they were having a great sale on broccoli. Maybe you have specific ethnic cuisine flavors you prefer, such as Italian, Mexican, or Thai. Maybe you’re just really in the mood for a quiche, sandwich, or stew.

These kinds of factors provide the starting-place for planning healthy and balanced meals that are specific to your preferences, health needs, budget, and availability of ingredients. And many recipes can be modified to create healthy meals that take your health and other factors into consideration. The easiest way to modify a recipe is to simply figure out which food group your ingredients fall into (see list of food groups, above), and choose a different food from the same food group. This is easy for protein choices, oils, fruits, veggies, and grains. For example, if you’re watching your cholesterol and fat intake, use lean proteins like skin-free poultry or fish instead of higher cholesterol, higher fat proteins like beef, or even experiment with vegetable proteins like Tempeh or tofu. Tempeh, a Thai soybean cake found in many health food stores, can be put through a blender and used as a good substitute for ground meat. And ingredients such as sugar and oil often can be reduced in a recipe to cut down on the fat or sugar without changing the flavor of the recipe too much.

Some ingredients are harder to substitute than others, and require more creativity. Soy or rice milk can usually substitute nicely for cow milk. Nutritional yeast has a flavor similar to parmesan cheese, and may work as a substitute. Crumbled tofu substitutes decently for ricotta. Other cheeses are harder to substitute. More challenging substitutions may require that you be open minded if the food doesn’t taste exactly like it did with the original ingredient – different doesn’t have to mean bad.

Now you have a starting place for planning a meal. For example, say I want to eat a high fiber, dairy free healthy meal. I know that a balanced meal should include some fruits or vegetables and some healthy protein choices, and I’d also like some starchy food in my meal as well. I love the flavor of Italian food, and I want to be sure to include kale because there was lots of it at the farmer’s market.

Now let’s plan a meal. What foods have fiber? - Nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, veggies, and legumes.

How can you make a food taste Italian? Try adding garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar or red wine, tomatoes, oregano, or basil.

One possible meal option would be grilled chicken breast with 1.5 cups steamed kale (1.5 g fiber) and ½ c. Polenta (4.5 g fiber) prepared with olive oil instead of butter, with Italian style homemade tomato sauce with grated zucchini (1 c tomato sauce=.5 g fiber, ½ c grated zucchini=2 g fiber). This meal is now well-balanced, dairy free, Italian style, and contains 9.5 g fiber. You could also add in a dessert of sliced apple with cinnamon and almond slivers (apple=3.2 g fiber, ½ oz slivered almonds=3.5 g fiber). Dessert (which is also a healthy treat) just added an additional 6.7 g fiber.

With the right attitude, meal planning can be a fun and delicious way to take care of the health of yourself and your loved ones. Let your creativity, your ingredient availability, your palate, and your health be your guide. Bon Appetite!

About the author: Bari Mandelbaum is the founder of Food Fairie Nutrition and Wellness Services. Bari’s background includes expertise in holistic nutrition, patient advocacy, stress management, herbalism and meditation.

Bari received her BA form Stanford University; and her four levels of nutrition certification from Bauman College, where she works as an instructor. She is registered with the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, and serves as Vice President for the California chapter of NANP.