You don't have to look hard for advice on a healthy diet, but scrutinize the source. Fad diets may sound tempting, but established medical institutions usually recommend eating well rounded meals with the emphasis on fresh ingredients. For the greatest chance of success, educate yourself about the best -- and worst -- foods, and develop your diet keeping those in mind.
Food Pyramids
Food pyramids provide a simple illustration of which food groups should be dominant in a healthy diet and which groups should be secondary or scant. The most well known guide is MyPyramid published by the United States Department of Agriculture, but you can find other varieties for your needs. Vegetarians have their own pyramid, and ethnic pyramids include Mediterranean, Latin American and Asian. They all have the same principle: visually showing what you need to eat for a healthy diet. Most of them recommend going heavy on produce and whole grains, light on animal products and even lighter on sweets, fats and salty foods.
Nutrition Guidelines
Nutrition guidelines deal with the specific amount of nutrients you need for a healthy diet. For instance, MayoClinic.com recommends carbohydrates comprise 45 to 65 percent of your calories each day. It goes on to explain this amount translates to 225g to 325g of carbohydrates on a daily 2,000-calorie diet. To find how many grams you're getting in a serving of food, just look at the nutrition information on the back of a package. Try limiting simple carbohydrates such as white bread and eating more complex ones, such as whole grains and beans.
Learn About Fat
Educate yourself about other elements of your diet such as fat. Total fat isn't as important as the type of fat you eat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthy because they can help parts of your body, such as your heart. Trans and saturated fats do the opposite, raising your risk for certain health conditions. Again, reading the nutrition information on packages can help you understand what kinds of fats are in certain foods.
Cut Back on Salt
Limit your salt intake to enjoy a healthy diet. From potato chips to canned soup, processed foods are loaded with sodium, so fresh ingredients are a better choice. It's well publicized that a lot of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, but it also can raise your risk for stroke and heart disease. The recommendation for most people is 2,300mg of sodium a day, and 1,500mg for those at high risk for these health conditions.
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