The nutrition provided by the food in your diet is the fuel that allows your body to breathe, to move, to work, to think — in essence, to live and to have the energy to live healthy.

A balanced diet guarantees that you get the right mix of all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients you need each day. In your body, nutrients do their work together, and to work best, they must be in balance with one another. Too much of one nutrient or too little of another — and the balance is thrown off.

The good news is that it is within your power to find a balance that provides good nutrition for your body. A good place to start is by understanding the nutrients that make up a balanced diet and why they’re so important.

Even when knowing what nutrients you need each day, with an active schedule it can be a challenge to eat everything you should to get your daily requirements. That’s why BOOST nutritional energy drinks fit in well with your busy day by providing 26 essential vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients to help you maintain a healthy diet. In doing so, they make it easy for you to fulfill your daily nutritional requirements.

So how do you know if you’re getting the right nutrients each day? Here’s a simple guideline that will give you the right daily servings* of recommended nutrients to help you establish a healthy, balanced diet.

Grains: 6 to 11 servings of whole grains or enriched grains. These include breads (1 slice), muffins and ready-to-eat cereals (1 oz.), cooked cereals (1/2 cup), rice or pasta (1/2 cup).

Vegetables: 3 to 5 servings, including green leafy vegetables and deep yellow vegetables. These include broccoli, spinach, string beans, squash, corn, carrots, peas, cauliflower and more. One serving is 1 cup of raw vegetables: 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables.

Fruits: 2 to 3 servings of fresh, frozen or canned fruit or fruit juice. These include blueberries, strawberries, apples (1 medium), grapefruit, oranges (1 medium), plums and peaches. One serving is 1/2 cup cooked, chopped or canned fruit, 3/4 cup fruit juice.

Low-fat dairy products: 2-3 servings of low-fat milk, yogurt or cheeses. These include skim milk (1 cup), yogurt (1 cup), buttermilk (1 cup) and a variety of hard or semi-soft cheeses (1/2 oz. natural, 1 oz. processed cheeses).

Meats and protein alternatives: 2 to 3 servings of lean protein choices. These include lean meat, poultry or fish (2-3 oz.), dried beans (1/2 cup cooked), peanut butter (4-6 tbs), tuna (1/2 cup), nuts (1/2 cup) and 1 egg.

Water: 8-10 glasses (8 oz) of water or other fluids.

To get your daily nutrients, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind:


Soluble fiber: Insoluble fiber:

Snacking between meals can actually be good for you, as long as you eat snack foods that are healthy. Here are few suggestions for enjoying a healthy, delicious snack while maintaining a balanced diet :