Counting calories is a great way to diet, but you can become deficient in one or more vitamins or minerals when you limit or cut out certain foods altogether. A good diet is based on a variety of foods. The result is a range of calorie counts and nutrient contents that affect your weight and physical condition, ideally keeping both in balance. Learning the nutrient/calorie ratio in the foods you usually eat tells you whether you need to make a change.
Significance
Eating nutrient-dense food sources satisfies your body's needs and uses fewer calories than do less efficient foods. This diet provides large amounts of vitamins and minerals. The average American diet, however, has a heavy calorie count from fats, and from "empty" calories, where nutritional value is low and calories are high. Sodas and fried snack foods offer more sugar, salt and fat than you need and few nutrients. These poor eating habits encourage weight gain, while a good diet promotes energetic health.
Identification
To identify which foods belong in a good diet, consider their role in an average 2,000 daily calorie count. The Food and Drug Administration deems food servings of 400 calories or more high and 100 or less low. The same ratio applies to a food's nutrient content; check the nutrition facts on the label. A daily value (DV) of 20 percent or greater is high, while 5 percent or under is low. Strive for high values of vitamins and minerals and low values of calories.
Features
Nutritional facts on food labels list the calorie count and serving size on which the calorie count is based. The main label section displays nutrient content that should be limited in a good diet, including percent of DVs for fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar. The second section displays beneficial vitamins and minerals that should be emphasized in your diet. These include vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and other elements. Dietary fiber, an important healthy nutrient, is listed under carbohydrates.
Function
The nutritional facts demonstrate how a food serving contributes to your daily nutritional profile. By staying below 100 percent DV for fat and other "risky" nutrients and by reaching 100 percent DV or more for the good stuff on most days, you achieve a balanced diet. Use calorie and nutritional facts on food labels to locate nutrient-dense foods and plan your meals and shopping lists. You'll learn by doing, and your new knowledge will help you to make wise choices when eating out as well.
Benefits
Getting enough of the essential nutrients within a limited calorie and fat intake can improve your quality of life--and increase the length of your life. Becoming overweight or obese raises your risk for many chronic ailments such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that 300,000 deaths per year could be prevented if every American maintained a healthy weight.
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