Good Balanced Diet

Since foods vary so much in their combination of both nutrients and calories, how can you achieve a "balanced" diet each day? There are complicated ways to perform all the necessary calculations, but few people have the time or interest to do this. The simplest way to plan adequate nutrition on a daily basis is to use the "Basic Four" food group.

The Basic Four Diet:
The basic four provide most of the recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) established by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. The RDAs which are reviewed for possible revision every five years, are estimates of the optimal quantity of each nutrient required - the most a person would be likely to need. Thus, if the blood you eat supplies all the recommended allowances, you can supplies all the recommended allowances, you can be assured of meeting all your daily nutritional needs.

It should be noted that refined sugar, fats, and oils are not included in the Basic Four, since they provide mainly calories (but not nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) and are rarely lacking in the American diet.

Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances for Healthy Adults

Nutrient	Males Age		Females Age
	23 - 50	51- ..	23 - 50	51 - ..
Energy (kcal)	2,700	2,400	2,000	1,800
Protein (gm)	56	56	54	54
Vitamin A (RE)	1000	1000	800	800
Vitamin D (μg)	5	5	5	5
Vitamin E (mgαTE)	10	10	8	8
Vitamin C (mg)	60	60	60	60
Folacin (μg)	400	400	400	400
Niacin (mg NE)	18	16	13	13
Riboflavin (mg)	1.6	1.4	1.2	1.2
Thiamin (mg)	1.4	1.2	1.0	1.0
Vitamin Bo (mg)	2.2	2.2	2.0	2.0
Calcium (mg)	800	800	800	800
Phosporus (mg)	800	800	800	800
Iodine (μg)	150	150	150	150
Iron (mg)	10	10	18	10
Magnesium (mg)	350	350	300	300
Zinc (mg)	15	15	15	15
Vitamin K (μg)	70-140	70-140	70-140	70-140
Biotin (μg)	100-200	100-200	100-200	100-200
Pantothenic acid (mg)	4-7	4-7	4-7	4-7
Copper (mg)	2.0-3.0	2.0-3.0	2.0-3.0	2.0-3.0
Manganese (mg)	2.5-5.0	2.5-5.0	2.5-5.0	2.5-5.0
Florine (mg)	1.5-4.0	1.5-4.0	1.5-4.0	1.5-4.0
Chromium (mg)	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2
Selenium (mg)	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2	0.05-0.2
Molybdenum (mg)	0.15-0.5	0.15-0.5	0.15-0.5	0.15-0.5
Sodium (mg)	1,100-3,300	1,100-3,300	1,100-3,300	1,100-3,300
Potasium (mg)	1,875-5,625	1,875-5,625	1,875-5,625	1,875-5,625
Chlorine (mg)	1,700-5,100	1,700-5,100	1,700-5,100	1,700-5,100

Look to Other Diet: Diet Sugar Strategy