This document provides information on balanced diets and their importance. It defines a balanced diet as one that contains different types of foods in proportions to meet nutritional needs. The principles of a balanced diet include eating staple foods, legumes, vegetables and fruits daily while limiting fats and sugars. Recommended dietary allowances and food guides are discussed as tools to plan balanced diets for meeting nutritional needs at different ages. The food exchange system and calculating food values are also summarized as methods for balanced diet planning.