A balanced diet
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| balanced diet/ˈbælənst ˈdaɪət/ | A diet containing all nutrient groups in suitable amounts. |
| vitamins/ˈvɪtəmɪnz/ | vitamins |
| minerals/ˈmɪnərəlz/ | minerals |
| fibre/ˈfaɪbə/ | Indigestible plant material that keeps food moving through the gut. |
| deficiency disease/dɪˈfɪʃənsi dɪˈziːz/ | deficiency disease |
| anaemia/əˈniːmɪə/ | anaemia |
You are what you eat
- To stay healthy, your body needs the right range of nutrients, in the right amounts.
- A balanced diet 均衡饮食 provides them all.
Balanced diet lab
Match dietary needs to the nutrient that solves the problem.
Which nutrient is mainly needed for growth and repair?
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Protein builds and repairs tissues.
Which nutrients are major energy sources? (Select all that apply.)
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Carbohydrates and fats provide energy; vitamins and minerals do not.
The nutrients you need
- Carbohydrates and fats: energy.
- Proteins: growth and repair.
- Vitamins 维生素, minerals 矿物质, fibre 膳食纤维 and water: health and digestion.

A balanced diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables
A diet with the right proportions of all nutrients is a ______ diet.
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Balance means the right amount of each nutrient.
Balance and needs
- A balanced diet has the right proportions of each nutrient.
- Needs vary with age, sex and activity — an active teenager needs more energy than an office worker.

The four kinds of teeth in the human mouth
A lack of vitamin C causes:
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Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy.
A deficiency of iron leads to:
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Iron is needed to make haemoglobin; a lack causes anaemia.
Deficiency diseases 缺乏症
- Too little of a nutrient causes a deficiency disease.
- Vitamin C deficiency → scurvy; vitamin D / calcium → rickets; iron → anaemia 贫血.
More is not always better. Too much energy-rich food (fat and sugar) leads to obesity and related illness. A balanced diet is about the right amount, not the most.
You've got it
- a balanced diet supplies carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water
- carbs/fats = energy; protein = growth & repair
- nutrient needs vary with age, sex, activity; shortages cause deficiency diseases