A balanced diet provides your body with the nutrients it needs to function correctly. To get the nutrition you need, most of your daily calories should come from: Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean proteins. A balanced diet stores the nutrients your body needs to work excellently. Without balanced nutrition, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance. Children who don’t get sufficient healthy foods may face growth and developmental problems, poor academic performance, and frequent infections.