The typical, everyday healthy diet applies to most of the population regardless of age or gender. As long as all the food types containing carbohydrates, protein and fat are represented, no supplemental vitamins and minerals should be needed. Unless a medical condition is present, adequate nutrition and calories should be available by eating a reasonable amount of fresh produce, whole grains, dairy products, meat and fish.
Typical Calorie Counts
A healthy diet should consist of enough total calories to maintain a healthy weight. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, inactive men can maintain their weight on about 13 calories per pound of body weight, while women can do so on 10 calories per body weight. Moderate activity ups the amount of calories to 15 calories taken in daily for each pound of body weight for men and 12 calories per pound for women. A 200-lb. man could maintain his weight on between 2,600 to 3,000 calories, depending on his activity level, while a 150-lb. woman could maintain her weight on from 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. A moderate amount of exercise would be at least a half-hour of brisk walking, bicycling or swimming.
Picking the Right Protein
Adequate protein is needed for a typical, healthy diet. The ratio between protein, fat and carbohydrates is in about a 1-to-1-to-2 ratio of total calories, according to MayoClinic.com. Pick protein from fish, poultry, lean meat, seeds, legumes and nuts, so that a better mix of protein with less saturated fat is included. Fish has almost as much protein as steak, with only about a quarter as much fat. Seeds, nuts and fish also contain healthy oils and omega-3 fatty acids that are more heart-healthy.
Get the Whole Grain
Carbohydrates compose about half the total calorie intake in a typical, healthy diet. Those carbs are best obtained from whole grain breads and cereals which haven't had vitamins, minerals and fiber milled out through processing. MyPyramid.gov states the whole kernel in whole grain foods will have the B-complex vitamins and iron the body needs as well as fiber for proper digestion. Even if white bread or processed cereals are enriched with iron and B vitamins, dietary fiber is lost.
Fill Up on Fresh Produce
Start any healthy diet with fresh produce to make sure all vitamin and mineral bases are covered. MayoClinic.com states that by starting a shopping trip in the fresh produce aisle, the dieter is more likely to have enough veggies and fruit for all the salads, snacks and desserts needed to stave off hunger and keep from reaching for processed snacks with all the added sodium and sugars those snacks tend to contain. Fresh produce is a good source of water-soluble vitamins such as C and B-complex for quick energy.
Dealing with Dairy
About one-fourth of daily calorie intake in a typical, daily diet should be in fats. Low-fat milk, dairy products and yogurt will supply fat-soluble vitamins such as E, A, K and D for long-lasting energy according to KidsHealth. Fat stores energy for later use, as opposed to the water-soluble vitamins found in fruit juices and veggies that must be restored daily. Those vitamins and minerals such as calcium can also be had for lactose intolerant dieters in soy-based dairy products and yogurts.
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