To maintain a healthy body, everyone is required to have a balanced diet. A diet is called balanced when it comprises of every basic nutrient and meets the calorie requirements of the individual. Such diet, essentially, supplies all the nutrients in requisite amounts and suitable proportions. By combining different food groups such as cereals, millets, pulses, fruits & vegetables, milk & milk products, meat & meat products, and sugar & fat, together with fibre, a healthy diet can be planned.

 

A diet that any individual consumes must provide sufficient calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals. However, calorie requirement is further determined from various factors, like height, weight, sex, age, nutritional status and physical activity of the individual. For retaining the optimal body weight, one must keep a check on the calorie intake. Regarding calorie requirements, it differs from person to person depending upon the above-mentioned factors.

 

Seeing as the nutritional requirement differs, it is preferable to seek advice from a dietician who can make a personalized diet chart considering the age, sex, physical activity, nutritional status, etc. Here is given a generalized version of Indian Diet Chart that covers nutrients and calories required by an adult every day in any case.