A nutritious diet provides enough energy and essential nutrients to keep your body in top form. Getting proper nutrition doesn't have to mean analyzing and tracking everything you eat, though. Just knowing the basics can help you plan a varied, balanced diet that supplies all the nutrition you need. Expectant or nursing mothers and seniors may have special nutritional needs, so check with a health care provider if you're in one of those groups.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are nutrients your body requires in large amounts, specifically, carbohydrates, fat and protein. Fiber also falls into this category. In a healthy adult diet, 45 to 65 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 percent from fat, and 10 to 35 percent from protein. You'll also need 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat daily.
Vitamins and Minerals
Although your body requires smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals than of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals are also vital for health. They not only support body basic functions, such as metabolism, immunity, they also maintain the muscular, circulatory and nervous systems. Vitamins are organic substances that plants or animals produce. A healthy diet requires sufficient levels of vitamins A, D, E, K, C and B-complex. Minerals are inorganic elements that plants and animals absorb from soil or water. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium and potassium, than it does of trace minerals like iron, zinc and selenium.
Calories
Getting enough macronutrients, vitamins and minerals requires eating enough calories. Cutting calories below 1,200 a day for women or 1,400 a day for men may result in nutrient deficiencies. For an estimate of your caloric needs, multiply your weight by 10 and add on either 20 to 30 percent of that number if you're sedentary or 50 percent if you're moderately active. If you need to lose weight, it is safe to cut 500 to 1,000 calories from your current daily intake as long as you're still getting enough to maintain your health.
Choosing Healthy Foods
To ensure sufficient nutrition without excess calories, choose nutrient-dense foods over items that provide calories, but little nutrition, such as sweets and alcohol. Base your diet on minimally processed vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes. Eat only moderate amounts of meat and choose primarily lean meats and fish. For dietary fat, focus on healthy plant fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. To include a broad range of nutrients, vary the foods you eat. Water is essential for nutrient absorption and overall health. Most adults need 35 to 50mL of water per kg of body weight daily.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbohydrates
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dietary Fat
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Protein
- KidsHealth.org: Vitamins and Minerals
- University of Maryland: Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss
- Richard Stockton College: How To Calculate Your Own Personal Caloric Needs
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