balanced diet

American  

noun

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

---

balanced diet Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of balanced diet

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

"Traditional knowledge recognized their value, and today's research continues to explore how the unique composition of wild blueberries may support health when eaten as part of an overall balanced diet."

From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Oct. 20, 2025

"Eating food and being able to eat a balanced diet isn't a privilege, it's something everyone should be entitled to."

From BBC • Jul. 24, 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

Cereals and pulses together thus provide many of the ingredients of a balanced diet.

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