What is an adequate diet?

•An adequate diet contains all nutrients necessary for maintaining good health and physical efficiency.

•The diet should provide adequate amounts of all nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals, vitamins and water.

•If these all are included in the diet, all nutritional needs for energy and nutrients will be met.   

•The three specifications that an adequate diet must have are the following:

–Protein for growth and maintenance of body cells

–Minerals, vitamins, and water for growth, maintenance, and regulation of body processes

–Fats and carbohydrates for energy

These are the components of an adequate diet.

    

•Among the most important questions asked by nutrition scientists are how we can make sure peoples gets enough nutrition/nutrients.

•How the available foods can create a diet that can supplies all the needed nutrients in the appropriate amounts for good health?

•The principle is simple enough: just select a variety of foods that present the nutrients you need.

•The wide ranging information available on the nutrient content of foods provides a base on which to select an adequate diet.

•In general, the selection can be “food based” with the emphasis on selecting appropriate amounts of food from various food groups.