A Balanced Diet is a Healthy Diet

CEBU, Philippines —  “I love hotdogs! I like instant noodles, too. They are my favorite food for breakfast,” Virgil told his friends.

“They are not healthy. Don’t you remember what Teacher Jeffrey taught us?” Blaire commented.

 “So I only eat chicken. They’re my favorite. I don’t mind having chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Lisa proudly said.

“I love bread and jam. I had bread and peanut butter this morning. For lunch, I will have bread and chocolate spread. And I will buy some margarine for dinner,” Jean happily announced.

“Hey guys, you are all eating in an unhealthy way!” Cyril blurted out. Everyone looked at him as if he just said something crazy. Then they burst into laughter.

“Teacher Jeffrey said chicken is healthy! And bread, too. What’s your problem?”

With the way his classmates reacted, Cyril realized he couldn’t convince them just with words so he took his notebook in Health from his bag and showed them the picture of “Pinggang Pinoy.” “You’re right, chicken and bread are healthy food, but do you see this? There should be a correct balance of food intake for you to become healthy.”

“Half of your plate should be glow foods. This is the category where fruits and vegetables belong. You can choose from a variety of green and leafy veggies paired with yellow fruits. The more color combination, the better,” Cyril explained.

Virgil smiled and raised his cup noodles. “Nope, the vegetables in that don’t count because they are processed food. You need your glow foods to be fresh, as much as possible,” Cyril continued, and turned to Lisa. “Lisa, since you like chicken so much, you can still have it in your meals but it should only be a quarter of your plate. There are other sources of proteins or grow food. You can have fish and pork, too. In the morning, you can have eggs. Again, the portion should not be more than one-fourth of the plate.”

“Does this mean I can’t have bread anymore?” Jean asked.

“Of course you can. In fact, bread can be a substitute for rice since they are both carbohydrates. They are called the ‘go’ foods. They give your body energy. There are different kinds of bread. Choose the ones that are rich in fiber like wheat bread. And like the grow foods, carbohydrates should also just be a quarter of your plate,” Cyril said.

“I think I remember now,” Lisa smiled. “It’s not only important to choose the right kind of food to eat. It is equally important to consider the right amount of food we give our body.”

“That’s right, because a balanced diet is a healthy diet,” Teacher Jeffrey joined in the discussion.