A balanced diet meets all of your nutritional needs and helps you manage your weight. It avoids going over your recommended calorie intake each day.

Make vegetables and fruits the star of most meals and limit fatty foods, sweets and salty drinks to occasional 'extras.' This will help you cut back on calories and fat without sacrificing essential nutrients.

Protein

Protein is a macronutrient that is a building block of every cell in the body. It helps to keep you full and satisfied, so eating a well balanced diet for weight loss with protein can help you lose weight. A healthy diet should include a variety of foods with protein, vegetables and fruits.

Aiming for 25-35% of your calories as protein is a good place to start. This can be achieved by including a variety of proteins throughout the day, such as: Eggs (all types), lean meats, poultry or fish, dairy products like milk and yogurt and legumes such as beans (kidney, chickpeas and lentils). Animal-based foods provide ‘complete’ proteins that contain all the essential amino acids – these are known as ideal or high-quality protein sources.

Vegetables

One of the best ways to lower your calories is to fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. They are naturally low in calories and provide nutrients, fiber and water that help satisfy hunger.

You can eat them raw, steamed, roasted or sauteed. Choose fresh, frozen and canned varieties without added sugar or syrup. Avoid fruit juices as they have lost some of the fiber.

Vegetables, including dark greens, are some of the lowest-calorie foods. They also contain vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that protect against disease.

Consider adding kale, broccoli and cauliflower to your meals or snacking on a handful of baby spinach or romaine hearts. Replace starchy vegetables like potatoes with steamed or roasted vegetables, or try them in salads.

Fruits

Fruits provide essential vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants to the diet. They help support optimal digestion, boost immunity and aid in weight loss. Fruits are also low in calories, making them a great choice to satisfy a sweet tooth without overindulging.

Many fruits have natural sugar, but are generally accompanied by water and fibre, which means they have a lower glycaemic index than candies or many sweet desserts. Fruits are rich in potassium and a good source of vitamin C, which can help regulate blood pressure levels.

Incorporating a variety of fresh, locally grown fruits into the diet can be beneficial for long-term health and weight management. However, it's important to consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice regarding your weight loss goals and diet plan. Every individual has unique nutritional needs based on age, activity level and underlying health conditions.

Healthy Fats

A healthy diet is one that gives your body the nutrients it needs and does not contain too much fat, salt or sugar. A balanced diet includes protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables and "healthy fats."

Healthy fats are liquid at room temperature and include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These types of fats help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. They can be found in olive and canola oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.

Saturated and trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are unhealthy for your heart and increase cholesterol levels. These can be found in meat, butter, palm oil and other processed snack foods.

To create a well-balanced diet for weight loss, make sure your meals and snacks include vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, beans and nuts and healthy fats. Avoid consuming too many calories from fast food, which often has high amounts of fat and sodium.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are an important part of the diet, providing a source of energy, dietary fiber and several vitamins and minerals. Try to include six 1-ounce servings of grain foods daily.

Look for whole grains containing the entire grain, which includes the bran, germ and endosperm, in your meals. Avoid refined grains, which have been processed to remove the bran and germ, which contain healthy fiber and many B vitamins.

Read food labels to choose whole grain products. The best option is to buy products that have a "100% whole grain" stamp or list a whole grain ingredient first in the ingredients. Also, choose products with low levels of sugar and sodium.

Other Foods

A healthy diet includes foods from all five food groups, but proper portion size is key. It can be difficult to determine appropriate serving sizes of foods such as carrot sticks and celery, but a kitchen scale and measuring cups are helpful tools for accurate portion control. Meal planning is another tool that can help a person meet their nutrition needs and reduce the risk of overeating. When combined with moderate exercise, meal planning can also help a person lose weight by creating a calorie deficit.

Conclusion

You can add whole grains to your meals by cooking brown rice, bulgur wheat or quinoa for dinner or lunch. You can also make lettuce wraps for burritos or use buckwheat noodles to replace spaghetti pasta in your meal.