balanced diet

What is a balanced diet?
Eating well is important for all of us. In the short-term, it can help us to feel good, look our best and stay at a healthy weight. In the long-term, a healthy, balanced diet can reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. But what exactly is a healthy, balanced diet?
To eat a balanced diet you need to combine several different types of foods - from each of the main food groups - in the right amounts so your body gets all the nutrients it needs while maintaining a healthy weight. This means you should eat:
Plenty of bread, rice potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
Plenty of fruit and vegetables
Some milk, cheese and yoghurt
Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
Very small amounts of fats and oils and
A very small amount or no foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt
Separate dietary guidelines are used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These guidelines use different visuals: in the Republic of Ireland the Food Pyramid is used and in Northern Ireland the Eatwell Plate is used.
- See more at: http://www.safefood.eu/Healthy-Eating/Food,-Diet-and-Health/What-is-a-balanced-diet.aspx#sthash.MwuH13Ux.dpuf

Balanced diet servings
Does a girl on a tightrope carrying a sandwich have a balanced diet?
Well it depends what's on the sandwich!
Eating a balanced diet just means that you choose foods in the right amounts from each of the food groups. Let me show you how it works. copyright with permission
This type of chart is called a "Pie Chart".
It gives some ideas of which foods are good for you and how much to eat.