So, after all this preliminary discussion, what should a balanced diet menu look like? Your plate should always have a healthy carb, a healthy source of fat such as avocado, walnuts, butter, olive oil or tahini (and even animal fat such as good quality butter or some fat from meat is fine: much better than artificial margarine or low quality fats like corn oil etc.), and of course some form of protein, whether it is animal protein or beans . If once a day you do not have all three on your plate, that is fine. But at least once, or preferably twice, a day you should try to balance your plate properly for optimal nutrition, for being satisfied and full and for having abundant energy. Use the color spectrum as well to keep your plate balanced: green vegetables, orange vegetables and fruits, white vegetables, red vegetables and fruits etc. Every color affects different parts of the body and helps to keep the system balanced and properly nourished. The more varied your diet, the more opportunity you have to maximize the vitamins and minerals you ingest and avoid malnutrition.