balanced diet

American  

noun

1. a diet consisting of the proper quantities and proportions of foods needed to maintain health or growth.

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balanced diet Cultural  

1. A diet that contains the proper proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water necessary to maintain good health.

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Etymology

Origin of balanced diet

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

The strongest evidence for maintaining long-term health still points to the basics: eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking, and managing stress -- all of which support telomere health naturally.

From Science Daily • Oct. 22, 2025

Many processed items, especially those based on plants, are beneficial parts of a balanced diet.

From Science Daily • Oct. 20, 2025

The Cookie Monster declared cookies a "sometimes food" and taught children about a balanced diet.

From BBC • May 19, 2025

The idea that all ultra-processed foods are inherently unhealthy ignores an inconvenient truth: Some UPFs contribute meaningfully to a balanced diet.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2025

Such exchanges in the Andes, Alps, and Himalayas not only increased population densities in those areas, by providing people at all altitudes with a more balanced diet, but also promoted regional economic and political integration.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond