A recent survey showed that almost half of Americans think it’s harder to eat right than do our taxes. Do you feel that way, too?
Unfortunately, there is a lot of conflicting information about nutrition available today. The truth is that no one diet or eating plan will work for everyone, and your past medical history, current conditions, food preferences, food allergies, lifestyle, and more, are what will help you determine your personalized eating plan.
Below, you will find the elements of a healthy diet. This is not designed to be a diet, but more to explain the basics of nutrition so you can make informed decisions about the food you eat.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars. This can get confusing because you often hear sugar is bad for you, but in reality, your body runs on glucose, a natural, simple sugar. Without it, you would die. Just as gasoline powers your car, glucose powers your muscles, your brain, and the rest of your body. Natural glucose comes from fruit and starchy foods, like grains, beans, and potatoes. Your body can also produce glucose when needed.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates
This type of food is digested quickly, while complex carbohydrates are higher in fiber and are therefore digested more slowly. Simple carbohydrates are found naturally in foods such as fruits, milk, and milk products. They are also found in processed and refined sugars such as candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks.
Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables.
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
- Includes a variety of protein foods such as seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds.
- Is low in added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
- Stays within your daily calorie needs
Protein
Proteins are made up of one or more long chain amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The human body can make 11 necessary amino acids, but we must get the other 9 from food for the body to function properly.
Basically, you need to eat protein to make protein. When you consume protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids, which are remade into the protein found in every cell in the body. Protein is used for energy, helps build and repair muscles, and supports nutrient absorption.
Protein can come from animal or plant-based sources.
Animal Protein
Animal proteins come from animals and are considered complete because they provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies need.
Animal protein: Eggs, fish, meat, dairy (milk, yogurts, cheese products), poultry (chicken, duck, turkey), pork
Plant-based Protein
Plant-based proteins are considered incomplete because they do not have all of the essential amino acids our bodies need. But plant-based foods like legumes (including beans and peanuts), nuts, seeds, grains and vegetables do have varying amounts of protein and can be combined to form a complete protein. Examples include peanut butter on whole wheat toast, beans and rice, hummus and pita bread, bean-based chili and crackers, refried beans and tortillas. Contrary to popular belief, these pairings do not have to occur at the same meal. Incomplete plant-based protein consumed within the same day will be utilized as complete proteins.
Plant-based protein: Quinoa, buckwheat, hempseeds, soy, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables.
Fats
Consuming fat is necessary in order for the body to work properly. Fat comes from a variety of food groups, particularly milk, meat, and oil. Fats can also be found in many fried foods, baked goods, and pre-packaged foods.
Fat is a major source of energy and helps your body absorb vitamins. It is also important for proper growth, and for keeping you healthy. A completely fat-free diet would not be healthy, yet it is important that fat be consumed in moderation.
Since our bodies only need a certain amount of fat each day, any extra that is consumed is stored in fat tissue and contributes to weight gain. Fat also affects our hearts, but the effect depends on which kind of fat you are eating.
There are four main types of fat:
Monounsaturated fats (“good fat”) – Olive, peanut, and canola oils, avocados, nuts, especially almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, and seeds, such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats (“good fat”) – Sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, and flaxseed oils, walnuts, flax seeds, and fish
Saturated fats (“bad fat”) – Butter, lard, coconut and palm oils, baked goods, fatty cuts of meat, sausage, bacon, cured meats like salami, chorizo and pancetta, and cheese.
Trans fats – The FDA has banned trans fats in food since 2020. Trace amounts may still be found, but they are easy to avoid in food since the ban.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are found in food and are necessary for your body to maintain proper health. With the exception of vitamin D, micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be derived from the diet. Though people only need small amounts of micronutrients, consuming the recommended amount is important. Micronutrient deficiencies can have devastating consequences.
The role of six essential micronutrients is outlined below.
Iron
Iron is critical for motor and cognitive development.
The richest sources of iron in the diet include lean meat and seafood. Nuts, beans, vegetables, and fortified grain products are also sources of dietary iron.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports healthy eyesight and immune system functions.
Dietary sources of Vitamin A include herring, salmon, beef liver and other organ meats, green leafy vegetables and other green, orange, and yellow vegetables, such as spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and winter squash, fruits, including cantaloupe, mangos, and apricots, milk, cheese, fortified breakfast cereals, and eggs.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D builds strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium. Our bodies are able to make Vitamin D from sunlight, but this varies based on sun exposure, geography, skin color, air pollution, and other factors.
Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in the diets of people in the United States. Almost all milk in the US is fortified with vitamin D and many plant-based alternatives such as soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk are similarly fortified. Vitamin D is added to many breakfast cereals and to some brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and other food products. Fatty fish (like trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best natural sources of vitamin D.
Iodine
Iodine is required during pregnancy and infancy for the infant’s healthy growth and cognitive development.
Iodine content in most foods and beverages is low. Fortifying salt with iodine is a successful intervention – about 86% of households worldwide consume iodized salt.
Folate
Everyone needs folate (vitamin B9) to make new cells every day. Folate is essential in the earliest days of fetal growth for healthy development of the brain and spine.
Folate is naturally present in beef liver, vegetables, especially asparagus, brussels sprouts, and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and mustard greens, oranges and orange juice, nuts, beans, and peas.
Folic acid is added to enriched bread, flour, cornmeal, pasta, and rice, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified corn masa flour (used to make corn tortillas and tamales)
Zinc
Zinc promotes immune functions and helps people resist infectious diseases including diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Zinc is also needed for healthy pregnancies.
Many foods contain zinc, including oysters, meat, fish, poultry, seafood, such as crab and lobsters, fortified breakfast cereals, beans, nuts, whole grains, eggs, and dairy products.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans a healthy eating plan:
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
- Includes a variety of protein foods such as seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds.
- Is low in added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
- Stays within your daily calorie needs
The Bottom Line:
It is important to choose nutrient-dense foods and beverages in place of less healthy choices at every life stage, and it is never too early or too late to improve your food and beverage choices to build a healthy dietary pattern.
For most individuals, no matter their age or health status, achieving a healthy dietary pattern will require changes in food and beverage choices. The good news is that a healthy dietary pattern is not a rigid prescription. Instead, you can choose to see your diet as a customizable framework of core elements within which you can make tailored and affordable, nutrient-dense choices that meet your personal preferences and cultural traditions.
