BSc Nursing 1 St Year Nutrition And Biochemistry Nursing Chapter 10 Balanced Diet Question And Answers

Balanced Diet

Question 1. Balanced diet.
Answer.

Introduction of Balanced diet:

A diet is all that we consume in a day. And a balanced diet is a diet that contains an adequate quantity of the nutrients that we require in a day. A balanced diet includes six main nutrients, i.e. Fats, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fibre, Vitamins, and Minerals.

All these nutrients are present in the foods that we eat. Different food items have different proportions of nutrients present in them. The requirements of the nutrients depend on the age, gender, and health of a person.

Importance of a Balanced Diet

The following are the importance of a balanced diet :

• Balanced Diet leads to a good physical and a good mental health.
• It helps in proper growth of the body.
• Also, it increases the capacity to work
• Balanced diet increases the ability to fight or resist diseases.

Components of a balanced diet

Some components of a balanced diet are as follows :

Fats

Some part of our energy requirement is fulfilled by fats. Fats can be found in fatty foods such as butter, ghee, oil, cheese, etc.

Proteins

We need proteins for growth purposes and to repair the wear and tear of the body. Protein also helps in building muscle. It is found in dairy products, sprouts, meat, eggs, chicken, etc

Carbohydrates

We need the energy to process and it is fulfilled by carbohydrates. Carbs provide us energy. Carbohydrates can be found in rice, wheat, chapati, bread, etc. Cereals are our staple food.

Minerals and Vitamins

Vitamins, Minerals, and Fibre improve the body’s resistance to disease. We mainly obtain it from vegetables and fruits. Deficiency diseases like Anemia, Goitre, etc can be caused due to lack of mineral in the body.

Question 2. Planning Balanced Diets.
Answer.

Balanced diet

A balanced diet is one which contains different types of foods such as cereals, pulses and vegetables in such quantities and proportion that the nutritional requirements are adequately met and a small provision is made for extra nutrients to withstand short duration of leanness.

• A balanced diet should provide 60-70 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 10-20 percent from protein and 20-25 percent from fat.
• Calorie allowance can be + 50, while for all other nutrients minimum RDA must be met.
• Energy from cereals should not be more than 75 percent.
• Include two cereals in one meal eg:- rice and wheat.
• To improve protein quality the ratio of cereal protein to pulse protein should be 4:1.
• Two to three serving of pulses should be taken a day.
• Include atleast one medium size fruit. The fruit can be given raw without much cooking.
• Five servings of fruits and vegetables should be included in a day
• The diet should include minimum 100ml milk per day.
• Foods rich in fibre should be included.
• One third of the nutritional requirements, at least calorie and protein should be met by lunch or dinner.

Question 3. Recommended Dietary Allowances.
Answer.

Recommended Dietary Allowance: The RDA, the estimated amount of a nutrient (or calories) per day considered necessary for the maintenance of good health by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council/ National Academy of Sciences.

Question 4. Therapeutic diet for a patient with hypertension.
Answer.

Reduce sodium (salt) – Reducing the amount of sodium you consume can lower blood pressure if you have high or borderline-high blood pressure. The main source of sodium in the diet is the salt

Reduce alcohol – Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Eat more fruits and vegetables – Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet may reduce high blood pressure or protect against developing high blood pressure. A strict vegetarian diet may not be necessary.

Eat more fiber – Eating an increased amount of fiber may decrease blood pressure. The recommended amount of dietary fiber is 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Many breakfast cereals are excellent sources of dietary fiber. More information about increasing fiber is available separately. (See “Patient education: High-fiber diet (Beyond the Basics)”.)

Eat more fish – Eating more fish may help to lower blood pressure, especially when combined with weight loss [3].

Caffeine – Caffeine may cause a small rise in blood pressure, although this effect is usually temporary. Drinking a moderate amount of caffeine (less than 2 cups of coffee per day) does not increase the risk of high blood pressure in most people.

One of the steps your doctor may recommend to lower your high blood pressure is to start using the DASH diet.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet is simple:

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats. Eat more whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts. Limit sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats.

Question 6. Plan a balanced diet for female adolescent.
Answer.

• The Adolescent (12-16 years)
• This is an age of rapid growth and intense activity. Individual variation is marked in this age group. A number of physical, emotional and mental changes occur in this period of life. Girls mature between 11 and 13 years.
• The transition phase from childhood to adulthood is known as adolescence with speeded physical, biochemical and emotional development. It is during this period that the final growth occurs. There are many changes in the body due to hormones.

Read And Learn More: BSc Nursing 1st Year Nutrition And Biochemistry Previous year Question and Answers

• Girls must give special attention to foods rich in protein, iron and other nutrients necessary for synthesis and regeneration of red blood cells. Girl’s diet should include iron rich foods such as dahls, leafy green vegetables, dried fruits, egg, liver and red meat (if acceptable).
• Fruits and vegetables every day. Your teen should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day (for a 2,000 calorie diet).
• 1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily. Your teen should eat three 1-cup servings of low-fat or fat-free calcium-rich foods every day. Good sources include yogurt or milk. One-cup equivalents include 1½ ounces of low-fat cheddar cheese or 2 ounces of fat-free American cheese.
• Protein to build muscles and organs. Your teen should eat 5½ ounces of protein-rich foods every day. Good sources include lean meat, poultry, or fish. One-ounce equivalents of other protein sources include ½ cup of beans or tofu, one egg, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and ½ ounce of nuts or seeds.
• Whole grains for energy. Teens should get 6 ounces of grains every day. One-ounce equivalents include one slice of whole grain bread, ½ cup of whole grain pasta or brown rice, 1 cup of bulgur, or 1 cup of whole grain breakfast cereal.

Iron-rich foods. Boys double their lean body mass between the ages of 10 and 17, needing iron to support their growth. Girls need iron for growth too, and to replace blood they lose through menstruation. Good sources of iron include lean beef, iron-fortified cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, or spinach.

Limiting fat. Teens should limit their fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of their total calories every day and they should choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats whenever possible. Healthier, unsaturated fats include olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils; fatty, coldwater fish like salmon, trout, tuna, and whitefish; and nuts and seeds.

Question 7. write the features of diet and sample menu for school children.
Answer.

School-age children (ages 6 to 12) need healthy foods and nutritious snacks. They have a steady but slow rate of growth and usually eat 4 to 5 times a day (with snacks). Many food habits, likes, and dislikes are set during this time. Family, friends, and the media (chiefly TV) effect their food choices and eating habits. School-age children are often willing to eat a wider variety of foods than their younger siblings. Eating healthy after-school snacks is important, too, as these snacks may contribute up to one-fourth of the total calorie intake for the day.

Calories and Proteins

The requirements of calories are increased steadily in this age group. It increases further during adolescence. The increased requirements of proteins would meet demands of growth. Girls require more protein to meet the needs of approaching menarche.

Minerals

10-12 years old children require more calcium than adults to meet skeletal growth. As the blood volume increases, there is an increased demand for iron.

Sample diet for school children.

Always serve breakfast, even if it has to be “on the run.” Some ideas for a quick, healthy breakfast include:

• Fruit
• Milk
• Bagel
• Cheese toast
• Cereal
• Peanut butter sandwich
• Take advantage of big appetites after school by serving healthy snacks, such as:
• Fruit
• Vegetables and dip
• Yogurt
• Turkey or chicken sandwich
• Cheese and crackers
• Milk and cereal

Question 8. Soft diet.
Answer.

Soft Diet

This bridges the gap between acute illness and convalescence. It is used in acute infection following surgery and for patients unable to chew. The soft diet is

• Made of simple foods
• Easily digestable
• Contains no fibre
• Near to a normal diet
• Not highly spiced or seasoned.

Soft Diet It bridges the gap between acute illness and convalescence. It may be used in acute infections, following surgery, and for patients who are unable to chew. The soft diet is made up of simple, easily digestable food and contains no harsh fibre. Patients with dental problems are given mechanically soft diet. It is often modified further for certain pathologic conditions as bland and low residue diets. In this diet, three meals with intermediate feedings should be given.

Foods to eat on a soft foods diet

• canned fish and canned poultry
• fruit juice and vegetable juice
• white rice
• egg noodles
• white bread
• mashed potatoes
• bananas
• mangoes
• avocados

Question 9. Fluid diet.
Answer.

The fluid diet is divided into two types as below:

• Clear fluid diets
• Full fluid diets.

Clear Fluid Diets

Clear fluids are prescribed for patients with marked intolerance.

An acute illness may produce nausea, vomiting, anorexia, distention and diarrhoea. Clear fluid diets are meant to provide very few calories and make up the water loss in the body. Clear fluid diets include:

• Tender coconut water
• Clear fruit juices
• Glucose water
• Albumin water
• Clear vegetable or meat soup
• Whey water

The clear fluids are used for 1 or 2 days till the patient is able to retain and digest a more liberal liquid diet.

Full Fluid Diet

This diet bridges the gap between clear fluid and soft diet. These consist of inclusion of eggs, milk, cereal, porridges, conjees or gruels, vegetable, chicken or mutton soup, fruit milk shakes etc.

This diet will meet the minimum requirement of all protein calories, vitamins and minerals.

It is used following operations in acute gastritis, acute infections and in diarrhoea.