A nutritious diet optimizes health, prevents disease and gives you a feeling of well-being. To make healthy food selections and hit all your nutritional requirements, determine what nutrients you are getting from your food. Studying a food pyramid can help and so will reading package labels. For an optimal, customized nutrition plan, consult with a doctor or dietitian.
Balanced Diet
The basic elements of a nutritious diet are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The Mayo Clinic guide to nutrition outlines the health benefits of these macronutrients. Carbohydrates provide the main energy source for the body and should be 45 to 65 percent of a day's calories. Healthy fats contribute to a strong immune system and should be 25 to 30 percent of a healthy diet. Protein, between 10 and 35 percent of recommended daily calories, creates healthy skin, bones, organ tissue, muscle and blood. Sufficient fiber improves cholesterol, blood sugar and digestion.
Healthy Choices
Good carbohydrates come from vegetables, legumes, fruits, some dairy products, whole grains and starchy vegetables like corn. Healthy fats come from olives, avocados, nuts and fish --- olive and canola oils are good for salad dressings. Protein is in plant sources, like lentils, beans, soy, seeds and nuts. More good protein comes from fish and other seafood, lean meats and poultry. Fiber is easy to get from oats, dried beans, apples, oranges, vegetables, wheat bran and other grains.
What to Avoid
To maintain a healthy diet, choose fresh food over processed whenever possible. Steer clear of the "bad" carbs or limit them to rare occasions. Mayo Clinic nutrition guides caution that white bread, cakes and anything made with white flour are less nutritious than whole grains. Candy and sodas are loaded with added sugar, providing lots of calories with very low nutrition. Saturated fats and trans fats contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats include tropical oils like coconut and palm oil and are in red meat, poultry with the skin left on, whole milk and butter. Trans fats are in many commercial baked goods, shortenings, French fries and other fried foods.
Snacks Fill in the Gaps
Smart snacks are high in nutrition and low in calories. They keep your energy up --- not your weight. The University of California Cooperative Extension suggests using snacks to fill gaps in daily nutrition. A fruit snack can be one of your recommended daily carbohydrate servings. Good fruit choices are apples and bananas, which both provide vitamin C, fiber, some minerals and antioxidants. Low-fat yogurt with a cereal sprinkle contributes energy and protein. Half an avocado with lemon, or a handful of almonds or walnuts, provides healthy fat.
Smart Shopping
Your local supermarket may label foods by their nutritional value. The labeled products usually display symbols and a ratings scale. Be aware that those designations are unregulated by the FDA or any central authority. Each chain or grocer creates its own guidelines and the results may or may not reflect truly healthy products. A smart consumer reads the container labels that spell out contents and nutrition facts to see what they are buying.
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