Stay Balanced Diet

Stay Balanced Diet

Visit the Stay Balanced Diet website.

Diets are confusing, and often misleading. We all know that the best way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. We also know that this is more easily said than done. Elaine B. Trujillo, MS, RD, co-author of Eating for Lower Cholesterol, created a diet plan, called the Stay Balanced Diet, to offer people of all ages a healthy way of eating.

The basic idea of the Stay Balanced Diet is that the calories you consume must be burned off with daily activity, including exercise. The following three steps will get you started down the path of healthy living.

One: Determine your Body Mass Index (BMI), by logging on to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ or by looking at the back of Eating for Lower Cholesterol.

Two: Research your daily calorie needs according to your gender and age on the chart below, titled Daily Calorie Guidelines.

Three: Devise a calorie-controlled meal plan from Eating for Lower Cholesterol or other trustworthy sources.

15 Simple Recommendations to Stay Balanced

  1. Stay within your calorie allowance, or cut back if you need to lose weight.
  2. Eat an abundance of vegetables and fruits.
  3. Eat whole grains instead of refined grains.
  4. Choose heart-healthy unsaturated fats from plant sources.
  5. Reduce your intake of saturated fats.
  6. Consume seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week.
  7. Eat nutrient-dense, low-fat soy protein, such as tofu or soy yogurt.
  8. Always choose the leanest white and red meats, and watch portion sizes.
  9. Take a multivitamin with minerals daily.
  10. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation—up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. One drink equals 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
  11. Consume less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 tsp of salt) of sodium per day. Individuals with hypertension, African Americans, and middle-aged and older adults should aim to consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
  12. Avoid foods that contain trans fats or partially hydrogenated oil, such as processed foods.
  13. Limit consumption of refined carbohydrates and foods that contain high fructose corn syrup, such as sodas, candy bars, and other junk food.
  14. Avoid fast food, especially the “value combos” that are loaded with fats and calories.
  15. Make daily exercise a priority.


Special Recommendations for Children and Adolescents

  • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
  • Consume whole-grain products.
  • Keep calcium intake high for growing bones.
  • Choose lean proteins from lean meats, poultry, fish high in omega-3s, and vegetables protein (tofu, nuts, and seeds).
  • Consume unsaturated fats from plant sources, such as vegetables oils, nuts, and seeds.
  • Limit saturated fats from butter and meat.
  • Avoid all trans fats found in processed, fast, and junk foods.
  • Limit consumption of refined carbohydrates and foods that contain high fructose corn syrup.
  • Exercise daily.

Daily Calorie Guidelines
Estimated Calorie Requirements for Gender and Age Group

    Activity Level    
Gender Age (Years) Sedentary Moderately Active Active
         
Female 2-3 1000 1000-1400 1000-1400
  4-8 1200 1400-1600 1400-1800
  9-13 1600 1600-2000 1800-2200
  14-18 1800 2000 2400
  19-30 2000 2000-2200 2400
  31-50 1800 2000 2200
  51+ 1600 1800 2000-2200
         
Male 4-8 1400 1400-1600 1600-2000
  9-13 1800 1800-2200 2000-2600
  14-18 2200 2400-2800 2800-3200
  19-30 2400 2600-2800 3000
  31-50 2200 2400-2600 2800-3000
  51+ 2000 2200-2400 2400-2800

 

Source: Table 3: Estimated Calorie Requirements (in Kilocalories) for Each Gender and Age Group at Three Levels of Physical Activity, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.


Estimated amounts of calories needed to maintain energy balance for various gender and age groups at three different levels of physical activity. The estimates are rounded to the nearest 200 calories and were determined using the Institute of Medicine equation.

  1. These levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Dietary Reference Intakes macronutrients report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for reference-sized individuals. "Reference size" as determined by IOM, is based on median height and weight for ages up to age 18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to give a BMI of 21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males.
  2. Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  3. Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  4. Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  5. The calorie ranges shown are to accommodate needs of different ages within the group. For children and adolescents, more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories are needed at older ages.


Visit the Stay Balanced Diet website here.