Nutrition Basics

Custom graphic showing edamame nutrition.
Edamame: The High-Protein, Nutrient-Dense Food Your Diet Is Missing
Nutrition
Home cooking dates energy homemade organic seeds nuts vegan oatmeal balls wooden rustic background
Get More Plant-Based Omega-3s With These 10 Brilliant Cooking and Baking Hacks
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing orange nutrition.
Oranges: The High-Fiber Fruit That Can Support Your Immune System and Skin Health
Nutrition
man drinking protein shake
The Supplements to Take Before, During and After Your Workouts to Supercharge Your Fitness Routine
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing blueberries nutrition.
Everything You Need to Know About Blueberries — One of the Most Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Nutrition
A man pouring a bottle of vitamin d supplements into his hand
The 7 Best Vitamin D Supplements for Your Health Goals
Nutrition
Marshmallow skewers on the wooden board
Not All Marshmallows Are Gluten-Free — Here Are 3 Trusted Brands to Try
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing sausage nutrition.
Sausage Nutrition: Benefits, Risks and Prep Tips
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing hand sprinkling seeds over hearty salad.
Grief Is Overwhelming: Here’s How to Make Sure You’re Still Getting the Nutrients You Need
Nutrition
A woman using a microwave oven
Frozen Dinners Can Make for a Healthy Meal — as Long as You Choose the Right One
Nutrition
mixed media graphic showing hand holding vitamin D bottle with sun on purple background
What Really Happens to Your Body When You Don't Get Enough Vitamin D
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing cottage cheese nutrition.
Cottage Cheese Is a Cheap, High-Protein Snack That’s Also Great for Cooking
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing walnuts nutrition.
Walnuts Nutrition: Benefits, Calories, Risks and Recipes
Nutrition
man shopping in grocery store reading ingredient list
Everything You Need to Know About Food Ingredients and Additives
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing cream cheese nutrition.
How to Enjoy Cream Cheese the Healthy Way (Even if You Have Lactose Intolerance)
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing plum nutrition.
Plum Nutrition: Benefits, Calories, Risks and Recipes
Nutrition
Sea salt on wooden table wooden spoon
Salt and Sodium Aren't the Same Thing — so Which One Should You Be Worried About?
Nutrition
Woman looking at food in grocery store
Artificial and Natural Flavors Are More Alike Than You Think — but Are They Safe to Eat?
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing pinto bean nutrition.
Make High-Protein, Fiber-Rich Pinto Beans Your Diet Staple
Nutrition
Homemade Asian Tofu Soba Noodle Bowl
These 8 Healthy Proteins Will Last the Longest in Your Fridge
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing pecan nutrition.
Pecans 101: Research-Backed Benefits and Tasty Ways to Eat More
Nutrition
Colorful Fruit Cereal Loops
Are the Food Dyes in Packaged Snacks and Meals Safe to Eat?
Nutrition
Close-up of Senior Adult Woman Slicing Tomato on Wooden Cutting Board - Stock Photo
Fridge too Full? These Are the Fruits and Veggies You Should Use First
Nutrition
Healthy woman washing apple
Should You Wash Fresh Produce With Anything Other Than Water?
Nutrition
female worker is snacking in office
Can't Stop Stress Eating? Dietitians Share 7 Tips to Help
Nutrition
View Looking Out From Inside Of Refrigerator As Woman Opens Door And Unpacks Shopping Bag Of Food
These 10 Healthy Foods Will Last the Longest in Your Fridge
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing bell pepper nutrition.
Bell Peppers Are Nutrient-Dense and Low in Calories — Here's How to Eat More
Nutrition
a wooden spoon rests in a skillet of porcini mushrooms with parsley as an example of what to eat when sick
The Best and Worst Foods to Eat When You're Sick
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing arugula nutrition.
Arugula Has Major Health Benefits — Here's How to Eat More (Besides Making Salad)
Nutrition
Choosing healthy sugar concept: sweets and baked food is less than fresh and dried fruits on bright yellow background
What’s the Difference Between Added Sugar and Natural Sugar?
Nutrition
Persons hand cutting vegetables
10 Nutrients You're Probably Not Getting Enough of — and What to Do About It
Nutrition
Food products in the kitchen. Woman taking jar of rice
The FIFO Food Storage Method Can Help You Keep Food Fresher (and Actually Use It All)
Nutrition
a plate of cottage cheese pancakes with blueberries
7 Cottage-Cheese Recipes That Have as Much Protein as Chicken Breast
Nutrition
Woman holding green drink.
The 7 Best Greens Powders, According to Dietitians
Nutrition
Mother and daughter grocery shop together using list
The 8 Foods Dietitians Always Buy at Aldi Are All Under $6
Nutrition
person at a drive-thru getting healthy fast food options
The 10 Healthiest Fast-Food Options When You're On the Go — Plus 4 to Avoid
Nutrition
Healthy sandwich with avocado, dill and salmon
5 Smart Food Swaps to Help Support Your Immune System
Nutrition
concept illustration of eating the same food every day
Is It Bad to Eat the Same Thing Every Day?
Nutrition
concept illustration of weighing health benefits of white rice and brown rice
Is Rice Good or Bad for You?
Nutrition
illustration of a nutrition facts label on a cereal box
Which Parts of the Nutrition Facts Label Are Most Important?
Nutrition
concept illustration of sugar cravings with hand reaching for donuts
How Can I Stop Sugar Cravings for Good?
Nutrition
concept illustration of question mark made of supplements
Is Eating Fortified Food the Same Thing as Taking a Supplement?
Nutrition
Young Woman Looking Up Food Item Ingredients On Smartphone
Why You Should Stop Thinking of Food in Terms of Calories You Need to Burn
Nutrition
Smiling woman adding olive oil to the salad, foods good for liver health
7 Healthy Foods for Your Liver That Help It Do Its Job
Nutrition
Blue and yellow illustration of the effects of added sugar on the body with hand holding cupcake
What Really Happens to Your Body When You Eat Refined Sugar
Nutrition
Kimchi korean food
7 Tasty Ways to Get Probiotics Outside the Dairy Aisle
Nutrition
Sporty young woman listening to music with mobile phone while eating yogurt in the kitchen at home.
Looking to Build a Stronger Butt? Here Are 5 Foods to Eat (and 2 to Avoid)
Nutrition
Rice Krispies in a bowl
Are Rice Krispies Gluten-Free?
Nutrition
Woman eating seafood in restaurant
The One Protein Dietitians Want You to Eat More Often
Nutrition
Healthy breakfast or lunch at home or cafe with fried egg, avocado, toasts, beans and fresh spinach on a wooden table.
The 9 Essential Amino Acids and Why Your Body Needs Them
Nutrition
Breakfast with eggs, avocado, bread and tomatoes for healthy fats
4 Mistakes You’re Making With Fats — and How to Fix Them
Nutrition
Dry Organic Japanese Furikake Rice Seasoning seaweed nutrition
This Iodine-Rich Functional Ingredient Will Replace Salt in Your Diet
Nutrition
Caramel Frappuccino With Whipped Cream on Marble Table, One of the Worst Foods for Your Heart
The 7 Worst Foods for Your Heart, According to a Doctor
Nutrition
Man enjoying meal knowing he can track net carbs.
Why This Dietitian Wants You to Stop Counting Carbs and Start Tracking Net Carbs Instead
Nutrition
Young woman in the kitchen cooking with healthy alternatives
Your Go-To Guide to Healthier Food Swaps and Cooking Substitutions
Nutrition
Healthy person eating organic chickpea salad from bowl with fork for soluble fiber and insolube fiber
What’s the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber, and Do You Really Need Both?
Nutrition
Rigatoni pasta Bolognese Vegan dish with nutritional yeast
Add This Ingredient to Any Dish for a Serious Vitamin B Boost
Nutrition
Vegan, detox Buddha bowl recipe with plant-based protein foods and turmeric roasted tofu, figs, chickpeas and greens. Top view, flat lay
9 Plant-Based Foods That Pack More Protein Than an Egg
Nutrition
Young woman with stomachache leaning on the bed at home looking for  foods for constipation
Struggling to Poop? Here Are 5 Foods That Can Cause Constipation (and 6 That Keep Things Moving)
Nutrition
Illustration of nightshade vegetables with flames above them that cause inflammation
How Bad Is It Really That Nightshade Fruits and Veggies Cause Inflammation?
Nutrition
Quinoa nutrition facts reveal the seed is packed with nutrients such as fiber and protein.
Quinoa: The High-Protein, High-Fiber Pantry Staple You're Missing Out On
Nutrition
Red, yellow and orange bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, sitting on a wooden board
7 Ways to Eat Quinoa at Every Meal (Because It’s So Darn Good for You)
Nutrition
Tuna salad sandwiches with eggs and cucumbers for cheap protein foods
10 High-Protein Foods That Cost Less Than $2 a Serving
Nutrition
Man eats a beef grilled steak on wooden table how to get more protein diet
4 Protein Mistakes You're Probably Making — and How to Fix Them
Nutrition
Woman drinking a plant-based protein powder shake after outdoor workout
Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Plant-Based Protein Powder for You
Nutrition
Midsection Of Chef Preparing Food In Commercial Kitchen for fiber and cholesterol
If You're Trying to Lower Your Cholesterol, This May Be the Most Important Place to Start
Nutrition
Young couple eating bread outdoors for carb diet
4 Carb Mistakes You're Probably Making — and How to Fix Them
Nutrition
Colorful personalized vitamins spilling out of a white bottle and forming a question mark on a yellow background
Are Personalized Vitamins Worth the Hype?
Nutrition
Friendly toast for dry january with mocktails
4 Delicious Dry January Mocktails That Cut Over 100 Calories
Nutrition
healthy autumn vegetables in paper grocery bag
Build the Ultimate Healthy Grocery List With Dietitians’ Favorite Foods at Trader Joe’s, Walmart and More
Nutrition
A cast iron pan full of meatballs in tomato sauce
5 Immune-Supporting Foods That Aren't Fruits or Veggies
Nutrition
Woman blowing bubble gum balloon to get the benefits of chewing gum
6 Unexpected Benefits of Chewing Gum — and 3 Bubble-Bursting Drawbacks
Nutrition

We believe healthy eating habits are the foundation of good health. At our nutrition basics page, we offer a variety of resources to help you understand the food groups, macronutrients, micronutrients, portion sizes and more.

Our team of nutrition experts provides in-depth articles on a variety of nutrition-related topics, such as how to read food labels, how to build a balanced meal and how to make healthy food choices when dining out.

We understand nutrition can be a complex and confusing topic, which is why we strive to present information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Whether you're looking to improve your overall health, manage a specific health condition or just learn more about nutrition, our nutrition basics page has something for everyone.