This is very difficult to determine as it is very complex to find out.

A balanced diet contains the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, and dietary fiber to make the daily requirements of the body.

Every one of us requires different nutrients, and this depends on our lifestyle, activities, and age.

This is why a balanced diet for one person may not be a balanced diet for another.

Balanced diet provides the energy to survive and stay healthy.

Energy is needed to do work while we are awake and to perform activities when we are at rest or asleep.

The amount of energy needed to carry on vital processes of the body when it is in complete rest is known as "basal metabolism",

where metabolism is the chemical reactions that take place within our bodies.

The basal metabolic rate is a measure of how fast chemical reactions are occurring when a person is completely at rest.

For example, the energy required in the beating of the heart.

Basal metabolic rate is affected by climate, body size, age, sex, and health of an individual.

Climate

A person living in a cold country tends to lose more heat in his surroundings and uses more energy in order to maintain his body temperature.

Thus, his basal metabolic rate is higher than that of a person living in the tropics.

Body Size

People of the same sex and age may have different body size and weights.

It is estimated that those with a bigger build require more energy than those with a smaller build.

Age

Growing children normally have a higher basal metabolic rate than older people because they require more energy for growth.

In adults, the basal metabolic rate tends to decrease slowly throughout life.

Sex

Men normally have a higher heat production than women of the same body size and age, which requires more energy,

as men usually have a smaller amount of fatty tissue in their bodies.

Thus, the prevention of heat loss is less efficient in men than in women.

Health

The thyroid gland in the neck controls the metabolic rate by secreting a hormone called "thyroxine".

If someone has an underactive thyroid, it results in insufficient thyroxine and, thus, lowering the metabolic rate.

Overactive thyroid produces more thyroxine, resulting in a higher metabolic rate.

Activity

If someone is very active and does heavy work, he or she needs more energy per day than a person who is moderately active.