well-balanced meal

Meaning

This phrase refers to a healthy plate of food that contains the right proportions of different nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is commonly used in discussions about health, fitness, cooking, and nutrition.

Examples

• A well-balanced meal should always include some fresh vegetables.

  A well-balanced meal should always include some fresh vegetables.

• It can be difficult to cook a well-balanced meal when you are busy.

  It can be difficult to cook a well-balanced meal when you are busy.

• Eating a well-balanced meal gives you energy that lasts throughout the afternoon.

  Eating a well-balanced meal gives you energy that lasts throughout the afternoon.

• She tries to prepare a well-balanced meal for her children every evening.

  She tries to prepare a well-balanced meal for her children every evening.

• This recipe book is great for learning how to make a cheap, well-balanced meal.

  This recipe book is great for learning how to make a cheap, well-balanced meal.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I ate a good balanced meal.

  ✓ I ate a well-balanced meal.

  'Well' is the adverb modifying the participle 'balanced.' Using 'good' here is grammatically incorrect.

• ✗ We need to eat a balanced-well diet.

  ✓ We need to eat a well-balanced diet.

  The adverb 'well' must precede the adjective 'balanced' to form the compound modifier.

Related Expressions

Practice

• To stay healthy, make sure each plate you serve is a ___.

  💡 A plate with a good mix of proteins, carbs, and veggies.

  Show answer

  well-balanced meal

• A simple salad with grilled chicken and quinoa is a perfect example of a ___.

  💡 A nutritious dish with proper proportions of nutrients.

  Show answer

  well-balanced meal