Balanced diet
A diet containing the right proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.
In other languages
- EN: Balanced diet
- BM: Diet seimbang
- 中文: 均衡饮食
In the syllabus and the exam
Balanced diet questions test whether candidates can move beyond simply naming the seven nutrient classes to reasoning about proportion and life-stage needs, since the content standard explicitly links diet to age, activity level, pregnancy and health condition. Typical exam scenarios describe a specific person, such as an athlete, a pregnant woman, an elderly person or a growing child, and ask candidates to explain which nutrients that person needs in greater or smaller amounts and why, for example more protein and calcium during pregnancy for foetal tissue and bone development, or more carbohydrates for an athlete's energy demands. Candidates must also be able to name deficiency effects of missing nutrients, such as kwashiorkor from protein deficiency or scurvy from vitamin C deficiency, and to state functions of fibre and water even though these are not digested. A common error is answering only with a list of food examples without connecting them to a nutrient's specific function or to the scenario's stated need.
Example
A growing teenager needs a balanced diet with enough protein for tissue growth alongside carbohydrates for daily energy.
Related terms
Source:SRC-DSKP-EN
Chapter: Nutrition and Human Digestive System
Related
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