How many foods should be included in a balanced diet every day

According to the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)", a balanced diet for ordinary healthy adults requires an average daily intake of no less than 12 types of food, and a cumulative total of no less than 25 types of food per week meets the standard. Don't be intimidated by this number.

When I first saw this request, I felt overwhelmed. I always felt that I had to fiddle with several dishes at a time. Later, I tried to make it for two days and found out that there is really no threshold. Take my usual fast food meal as an example. In the morning, I have half a piece of whole wheat bread, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 cup of warm milk, with a few cherry tomatoes and a small handful of blueberries, which is enough for 5 kinds. At noon, I order a meat and vegetable bento, with brown rice as a base, grilled chicken breast, and stir-fried broccoli. , stir-fried mushrooms with carrots, and the cold spinach that came with a chopstick, which added 6 more kinds. When I got home at night and was too lazy to turn on the fire, I made a tofu and kelp soup, cut half a corn and gnawed it, and then had two bites of cold lettuce. Counting, I can have 14 or 5 kinds in a day, which is easily over the limit.

However, this is not a hard standard that must be adhered to. Now there are many different voices in the nutrition field. I have a friend who has long-term sugar control. The doctor specifically told him that there is no need to force the variety. If you want to make up the number, add several high-sugar fruits and highly processed foods. Mixing grains will disrupt the rhythm of blood sugar, and the gain outweighs the gain. Some friends who have been practicing bodybuilding for several years will only eat 7 or 8 kinds of food a day when their appetite is poor on training days. However, the ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat is very accurate, and there has been no nutritional gap for so many years.

In fact, these 12 types are more like a reference passing line, a bit like the 60 points we scored on the exam when we were studying. If you have enough time and appetite, eating a few more types can certainly cover various nutrients more reliably. After all, different foods have different nutritional values. Grains and potatoes can support hunger and supplement B complex. Vegetables and fruits provide dietary fiber and vitamins, and meat, eggs and beans provide high-quality protein. The more types, the less likely to be deficient in nutrients. But if you really can’t reach it, don’t worry. You can’t just eat one bite of each one to make up for it. In the end, the total calories will exceed hundreds of calories, which will put a burden on your body, right?