Balanced Diet for a human being | General Awareness - Bank Exams PDF Download

Components of Food

• The components of food are: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Minerals, Vitamins, Water and Roughage.
• If all the components are present in optimum proportions and quantities for maintaining the body in a perfect state of health, activity, and development, then the food is called a balanced diet.

Balanced Diet

Carbohydrates

• Constitutes 3 elements: Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
• Daily requirement is 500 gms. 1 gm gives 17 KJ of energy.
• The carbohydrates of the food eaten, after being processed in the alimentary canal and liver, are supplied to the tissues mainly as glucose, often called blood sugar.
• Sources: 3 main cereals (wheat, rice and maize), sugar cane, milk, fruits, honey, beet, etc.
• They are of 3 types: Cellulose, Starch and Sugar.
• Structurally, carbohydrates are of 3 types: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides andPolysaccharides.
• Excess carbohydrates are stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.

Sources of Carbohydrates 

Fats

• Provides twice the energy of carbohydrates (1 g provides 37 KJ of energy).
• Acts as the reserve food material because excess fat is stored in the liver and as adipose tissue.
• An enzyme called Lipase digests fats. It breaks down into fatty acids and glycerol.
• Daily requirement: 50 grams.

Sources of Fats

Proteins

• Made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen.
• Important for growth and repair of the body.
• Made up of amino acids.
• Kwashiorkor and Marasmus are the diseases that occur due to deficiency of protein.

Sources of Proteins 

Minerals

• The salt of Ca required by our body is Calcium Phosphate Ca₃ (PO₄)₂

Vitamins

• It is necessary for normal growth, good health, good vision, proper digestion, etc. They do not provide energy to our body.
• Vitamins can be divided into two categories.
• Water-soluble: Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C.
• Fat-soluble: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.

Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Types of Vitamins

Water

• Important in digestion, transportation, excretion, and to regulate body temperature (the human body contains approximately 65% water).

Roughage

• Fibrous material is present in the cell walls of plants.
• Mainly contains cellulose.
• It doesn’t provide energy but only helps in retaining water in the body.
• One of the common sources is Daliya, which we eat in our homes.