Food is our basic need. It nourishes our body and maintains our health. It gives us energy that is required for every action of ours including our participation in games and sports. The various food items that we consume constitute our diet. Diet may be defined as the total amount of different variety of food items consumed by a person during a day.
A healthy diet should consist of simple, natural and/or well-cooked foods which promote health and protect us from diseases. It should keep our organ systems well functioning. The diet that we consume is decided by our socio-cultural norms, life style pattern and the type of activities we are engaged in. There is a delicate relationship amongst what we eat, how much we eat and what will happen to our health if we overeat or do not eat properly. In the present chapter, we shall discuss important dimensions of diet for healthy living, which include nutrition, nutrients, food groups, balanced diet, special dietary requirements, malnutrition and eating disorders.
