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Most health experts recommend eating a balanced, healthy diet to maintain or lose weight. But what is a healthy diet?
The basic components of a healthy diet include the right amount of:
Protein (found in meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and beans)
Fat (found in animal products, sweets, and "junk" food)
Carbohydrate (found in fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, grains and peas, beans and other legumes)
Vitamins (such as vitamins A,B,C, D, E and K)
Minerals (such as calcium, potassium and iron)
Water
What Are Calories?
Of these six nutrients, only carbohydrates, proteins and fats provide calories. A calorie is a measurement, just like a teaspoon or an inch. Calories are the amount of energy released when your body breaks down food. The more calories a food has, the more energy it can provide to your body. When you eat more calories than you need, your body stores the extra calories as fat. Even a fat-free food can have a lot of calories and can be stored as fat.
What Are Proteins?
Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of body tissue such as the skin, the internal organs and muscle. Proteins are also the major components of our immune system and hormones.
Proteins are made up of substances called amino acids -- 22 are considered vital for health. Of these, the adult body can make 14; the other 8 (called essential amino acids) can only be obtained from what we eat.
Proteins are found in all types of food, but only meat, eggs, cheese and other foods from animal sources contain complete proteins, meaning they provide the 8 essential amino acids.
Your daily diet must contain enough protein to replenish these amino acids. Thus, if you are vegetarian and do not eat food from animal sources, you need to eat a variety of plant proteins in combination to ensure that you get enough of the essential amino acids.
How much protein people need on a daily basis varies. Experts recommend that approximately 12% of your total daily calories come from protein. That equals 40-70g per day for the average healthy adult.
However, over the course of a day, the average American diet includes almost double the protein needed to help maintain a healthy body. Using the chart below, you can easily calculate how much protein your body needs.
Protein Needs
Suggested Daily Grams of Protein Per Pound
Sedentary adult
0.4
Recreational athlete
0.5-0.75
Competitive athlete
0.6-0.9
Teenage athlete
0.9-1.0
Building muscle
0.7-0.9
Athlete restricting calories
0.7-1.0
Most the body can use (upper limit)
1.0
Is Any Fat Healthy?
A certain amount of fat in the diet is good and necessary to be healthy. However, nutrition experts agree that most Americans should eat less fat than they currently do. Research shows that excessive intake of fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Eating too much fat also causes excess body weight, since a gram of fat has about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates (see below) and proteins. (There are 9 calories per gram of fat compared to 4 calories for protein and carbohydrates.)
Fat is made up of compounds called fatty acids or lipids. Depending on their chemical structure, these fatty acids are called monounsaturated, saturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are the "fattest" fats and are the unhealthiest fats to eat.
Thus, problems with too much dietary fat come when 10% or more of your daily calories come from saturated fats such as those found in meats, dairy products and butter. This practice can lead to high blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
What Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body in the form of glucose. Glucose is a sugar that is the primary means of energy for all of the body's cells.
There are two types of carbohydrates -- simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars -- they are found in refined sugar, and in fruits. The refined sugars in candies and snacks can be very unhealthy.
Complex carbohydrates are the starches -- they are found in beans, nuts, vegetables and whole grains. They are considered very healthy mostly because they are digested by the body slowly and provide a steady source of energy. They do not provide a burst of energy "the sugar rush" experienced with simple carbohydrates.
The American Heart Association recommends that Americans decrease the amounts of refined sugars (simple carbohydrates) and increase the amount of complex carbohydrates to 55% of the total daily calories consumed.
What Are Vitamins?
Vitamins help with chemical reactions in the body. In general, vitamins must come from the diet; the body doesn't make them.
There are 13 vitamins essential to the body. They are divided into two categories: soluble (vitamin C and all the B vitamins) and fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K). The fat-soluble vitamins are more easily stored by the body. Thus, you do not need large amounts of these vitamins since they can easily become toxic and cause a variety of problems.
Because the water-soluble vitamins aren't stored for long in the body, we must consume them daily. And, although taking large doses of these vitamins isn't necessarily dangerous, it may be wasteful as the body eliminates the excess water-soluble vitamins in the urine.
What Are Minerals?
Minerals, like vitamins, must come from the diet; the body doesn't make them. Many minerals are vital to the proper function of the body and must be taken in relatively large amounts (such as calcium, potassium and iron.) Others, like trace minerals (zinc, selenium, and copper), are only needed in small amounts to maintain good health.
How Does Water Promote Health?
Although it has no food value, the body can't survive without water - it is essential in keeping the brain adequately hydrated. Water is the most plentiful substance in the body, accounting for 55%-65% of body weight, but because the body can't store water, we must constantly replenish it.
How Much Nutrients Do I Need to Stay Healthy?
A healthy diet should consist of:
60% to 70% carbohydrates
12% to 15% protein
25% to 30% fat, with no more than 10% saturated fat
The Food Pyramid published by the USDA makes it easy to envision just how much of each food type you should eat.
Each section of the pyramid represents a food group; the size of the group corresponds to the number of recommended servings. The base of the pyramid represents the grain group. These are carbohydrate-rich foods: bread, cereal, rice and pasta. You should eat 6-11 servings per day of these foods. The next tier of the pyramid includes vegetables and fruit. You should eat 3-5 servings per day of vegetables and 2-4 servings per day of fruit. These are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The next level is protein: dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. You should eat 2-3 servings per day of foods from the milk group and 2-3 servings per day of foods from the meat, egg, bean, and nut group. The top level of the pyramid is fats, oils, and sweets; these should be used sparingly.
The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get all of the nutrients you need, and, at the same time, the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you're watching your weight, eat the minimum number of recommended servings. If you need to gain weight, eat the maximum number of servings. And, keep in mind as to what constitutes a serving. Most serving sizes are smaller than you think. Be sure to read the food labels carefully to determine the accurate portion size.
Also, try to choose nonfat and lean foods as often as possible. For example, choose nonfat or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk; lean meat instead of fatty meat; and breads and cereals that are not processed with a lot of fat.
But you don't have to completely avoid all foods that have fat, cholesterol or sodium. It's your average intake over a few days, not in a single food or even a single meal that's important. If you eat a high-fat food or meal, balance your intake by choosing low-fat foods the rest of the day or the next day. Read the food labels on everything you eat to help you "budget" your intake of fat, cholesterol and sodium over several days.
The basic components of a healthy diet include the right amount of:
Protein (found in meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and beans)
Fat (found in animal products, sweets, and "junk" food)
Carbohydrate (found in fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, grains and peas, beans and other legumes)
Vitamins (such as vitamins A,B,C, D, E and K)
Minerals (such as calcium, potassium and iron)
Water
What Are Calories?
Of these six nutrients, only carbohydrates, proteins and fats provide calories. A calorie is a measurement, just like a teaspoon or an inch. Calories are the amount of energy released when your body breaks down food. The more calories a food has, the more energy it can provide to your body. When you eat more calories than you need, your body stores the extra calories as fat. Even a fat-free food can have a lot of calories and can be stored as fat.
What Are Proteins?
Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of body tissue such as the skin, the internal organs and muscle. Proteins are also the major components of our immune system and hormones.
Proteins are made up of substances called amino acids -- 22 are considered vital for health. Of these, the adult body can make 14; the other 8 (called essential amino acids) can only be obtained from what we eat.
Proteins are found in all types of food, but only meat, eggs, cheese and other foods from animal sources contain complete proteins, meaning they provide the 8 essential amino acids.
Your daily diet must contain enough protein to replenish these amino acids. Thus, if you are vegetarian and do not eat food from animal sources, you need to eat a variety of plant proteins in combination to ensure that you get enough of the essential amino acids.
How much protein people need on a daily basis varies. Experts recommend that approximately 12% of your total daily calories come from protein. That equals 40-70g per day for the average healthy adult.
However, over the course of a day, the average American diet includes almost double the protein needed to help maintain a healthy body. Using the chart below, you can easily calculate how much protein your body needs.
Protein Needs
Suggested Daily Grams of Protein Per Pound
Sedentary adult
0.4
Recreational athlete
0.5-0.75
Competitive athlete
0.6-0.9
Teenage athlete
0.9-1.0
Building muscle
0.7-0.9
Athlete restricting calories
0.7-1.0
Most the body can use (upper limit)
1.0
Is Any Fat Healthy?
A certain amount of fat in the diet is good and necessary to be healthy. However, nutrition experts agree that most Americans should eat less fat than they currently do. Research shows that excessive intake of fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Eating too much fat also causes excess body weight, since a gram of fat has about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates (see below) and proteins. (There are 9 calories per gram of fat compared to 4 calories for protein and carbohydrates.)
Fat is made up of compounds called fatty acids or lipids. Depending on their chemical structure, these fatty acids are called monounsaturated, saturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are the "fattest" fats and are the unhealthiest fats to eat.
Thus, problems with too much dietary fat come when 10% or more of your daily calories come from saturated fats such as those found in meats, dairy products and butter. This practice can lead to high blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
What Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body in the form of glucose. Glucose is a sugar that is the primary means of energy for all of the body's cells.
There are two types of carbohydrates -- simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars -- they are found in refined sugar, and in fruits. The refined sugars in candies and snacks can be very unhealthy.
Complex carbohydrates are the starches -- they are found in beans, nuts, vegetables and whole grains. They are considered very healthy mostly because they are digested by the body slowly and provide a steady source of energy. They do not provide a burst of energy "the sugar rush" experienced with simple carbohydrates.
The American Heart Association recommends that Americans decrease the amounts of refined sugars (simple carbohydrates) and increase the amount of complex carbohydrates to 55% of the total daily calories consumed.
What Are Vitamins?
Vitamins help with chemical reactions in the body. In general, vitamins must come from the diet; the body doesn't make them.
There are 13 vitamins essential to the body. They are divided into two categories: soluble (vitamin C and all the B vitamins) and fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K). The fat-soluble vitamins are more easily stored by the body. Thus, you do not need large amounts of these vitamins since they can easily become toxic and cause a variety of problems.
Because the water-soluble vitamins aren't stored for long in the body, we must consume them daily. And, although taking large doses of these vitamins isn't necessarily dangerous, it may be wasteful as the body eliminates the excess water-soluble vitamins in the urine.
What Are Minerals?
Minerals, like vitamins, must come from the diet; the body doesn't make them. Many minerals are vital to the proper function of the body and must be taken in relatively large amounts (such as calcium, potassium and iron.) Others, like trace minerals (zinc, selenium, and copper), are only needed in small amounts to maintain good health.
How Does Water Promote Health?
Although it has no food value, the body can't survive without water - it is essential in keeping the brain adequately hydrated. Water is the most plentiful substance in the body, accounting for 55%-65% of body weight, but because the body can't store water, we must constantly replenish it.
How Much Nutrients Do I Need to Stay Healthy?
A healthy diet should consist of:
60% to 70% carbohydrates
12% to 15% protein
25% to 30% fat, with no more than 10% saturated fat
The Food Pyramid published by the USDA makes it easy to envision just how much of each food type you should eat.
Each section of the pyramid represents a food group; the size of the group corresponds to the number of recommended servings. The base of the pyramid represents the grain group. These are carbohydrate-rich foods: bread, cereal, rice and pasta. You should eat 6-11 servings per day of these foods. The next tier of the pyramid includes vegetables and fruit. You should eat 3-5 servings per day of vegetables and 2-4 servings per day of fruit. These are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The next level is protein: dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. You should eat 2-3 servings per day of foods from the milk group and 2-3 servings per day of foods from the meat, egg, bean, and nut group. The top level of the pyramid is fats, oils, and sweets; these should be used sparingly.
The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get all of the nutrients you need, and, at the same time, the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you're watching your weight, eat the minimum number of recommended servings. If you need to gain weight, eat the maximum number of servings. And, keep in mind as to what constitutes a serving. Most serving sizes are smaller than you think. Be sure to read the food labels carefully to determine the accurate portion size.
Also, try to choose nonfat and lean foods as often as possible. For example, choose nonfat or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk; lean meat instead of fatty meat; and breads and cereals that are not processed with a lot of fat.
But you don't have to completely avoid all foods that have fat, cholesterol or sodium. It's your average intake over a few days, not in a single food or even a single meal that's important. If you eat a high-fat food or meal, balance your intake by choosing low-fat foods the rest of the day or the next day. Read the food labels on everything you eat to help you "budget" your intake of fat, cholesterol and sodium over several days.
