What does a balanced diet include?

There is no obvious gap in complete nutrients, the dietary structure matches the daily consumption rhythm, and adapts to individual physical characteristics. There is no unified standardized template.

I used to help a friend who is a designer adjust her diet. She used to follow the "standard balanced diet" on the Internet, which included 200 grams of brown rice every day and boiled vegetables for every meal. Within half a month, she developed bloating and chronic gastritis, and her complexion became worse than before. Later, I helped her replace half of the polished rice with easy-to-digest slow carbohydrates such as steamed pumpkin and iron yam, and replaced boiled vegetables with dark green leafy vegetables stir-fried with less oil. I also specially set aside two meals a week for her to eat her favorite braised duck wings.

When talking about this, some people will definitely wonder, then are the recommended amounts in the Resident Dietary Guidelines useless? Of course it is useful. It is a general reference for ordinary healthy people, not a standard answer that must be found in grams. This is where a lot of the controversy surrounding a balanced diet in the academic community comes from. For example, should we completely eliminate refined carbohydrates? One school of research believes that refined carbohydrates raise blood sugar quickly, and long-term consumption of large amounts will increase the risk of metabolic diseases. It is recommended that whole grains account for more than half of the carbohydrates. ； The other group believes that for the elderly, children with weak digestive functions, and patients who have just undergone surgery, refined carbohydrates are better absorbed and are more suitable as a staple food source. In fact, the conclusions of both sides are valid when it comes to specific people, and there is no need to argue about right or wrong.

Normally, everyone is busy at work, so it is simply unrealistic to collect multiple types of food all at once. It can be coordinated according to a 3-7 day cycle. This week, you eat enough dark green leafy vegetables, orange fruits and vegetables, cruciferous cabbage and broccoli, plus some mushrooms and seaweed ingredients. High-quality protein also covers livestock and poultry meat, fish and shrimp, eggs, milk or soy products. Then there will be no obvious gaps in basic macro and micro nutrients. There is no need to feel anxious just because you didn’t eat vegetables today.

To be honest, a balanced diet is very similar to how we usually arrange rest days. There is no need to fix the number of rest days per week. As long as the rest period in this month is long enough to relieve fatigue, occasionally working for several consecutive days or taking two consecutive days off will not affect the overall state at all. I have come across too many people who make a balanced diet a dogma. In the end, they either fail to stick to it and overeat, or they cause digestive problems in their bodies. In fact, they essentially forget that the core of a balanced diet is to serve your body, not to make you conform to a certain set of general standards.