What is the 211 ratio of a balanced diet?

The 211 balanced diet ratio is a simple meal matching guideline for the general public. The core is based on volume calculation. The ingredients of each meal are divided into 2 parts of vegetables, 1 part of high-quality protein, and 1 part of whole grain staple food. It is a practical standard simplified by the Chinese Nutrition Society based on the residents' dietary pagoda.

The most friendly thing about this ratio is that the complicated weight requirements are replaced by volume ratios that everyone can understand at a glance. Ordinary people can use the regular dinner plates at home as a reference. Half the plate is filled with vegetables, and the remaining two halves are filled with protein and staple food. There is no need to use a scale, and the threshold for getting started is very low. This was the first method I used when I adjusted my diet two years ago. At that time, I ate in the company cafeteria every day. When I was cooking, I would use two large chopsticks to stir-fry lettuce and boiled okra, then pick a piece of braised skinless chicken drumstick that was smaller than the palm of my hand. Finally, I would fill up a small half bowl of oatmeal rice, which just filled my plate. After eating it, I would feel full until get off work. I didn't eat two bowls of white rice like before. At three o'clock in the afternoon, I would stare at the takeout app and think about ordering milk tea.

However, after practicing for a long time, you will find that this ratio does not need to be stuck. Many fitness friends around me will increase the proportion of protein by half during the muscle-building period. My cousin who is a senior in high school at home exercises a lot and will add half a spoonful more to the staple food every time. No one says that it is useless if it does not meet the standards. Some nutrition practitioners have also put forward different opinions. They feel that the 211 standard is too general for the elderly with weak digestive ability and children who have just added complementary foods. For example, the elderly have bad teeth and cannot eat too many vegetables. It is no problem to reduce the amount of vegetables appropriately and replace them with steamed ones that are easy to digest. If you encounter vegetables with high starch content such as pumpkins and yams, you can also directly replace the staple food. You don’t have to make up for 2 servings of vegetables and still eat white rice as usual, but it is easy to exceed the carbohydrate limit.

A while ago, I accompanied my aunt to undergo a glucose tolerance test, and she was found to have abnormal glucose tolerance. The dietary guidance given by the nutritionist was to adjust according to the 211 ratio. She used to eat two large bowls of white rice with half a plate of pickles. Now when cooking every day, she first stir-fries a plate of green leafy vegetables, and then steams a small plate of fish or fish. She cooked a few brine shrimps and replaced her staple food with half a bowl of multigrain rice. She persisted for more than a month. During the follow-up check, her postprandial blood sugar had stabilized within the normal range. Now she still gives this method to her old sisters every day when she dances square dances. She said it is much easier than those weight-loss meals that count calories. To put it bluntly, dietary guidelines give a general direction, and what suits you is the best. You don’t need to regard 211 as an iron rule that must be followed. Flexible adjustment makes it easier to stick to it for a long time.