Selecting a Healthful Diet

As the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state, "Different foods contain different nutrients and other healthful substances. No single food can supply all the nutrients in the amounts you need" [61]. For more information about building a healthful diet, refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans [61] http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines and the US Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid [62] http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyramid2.htm.

Healthy Diet Basics

Understand the fundamentals of food and nutrition — the food pyramid, fiber, fat and cholesterol, calories, and the elements of a healthy diet.

• Food pyramid and calories
• Fiber and plant-based foods
• Fat and cholesterol
• Vitamins, minerals and supplements
• Water, tea, alcohol and caffeine
• Salt and sodium

Here are a few simple practices to help get or keep you on track:

Choose a variety of foods from each major food group. This ensures that you get all of the calories, protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber you need. Choosing a wide range of foods also helps make your meals and snacks more interesting.

Adapt the plan to your specific tastes and preferences. For example, a serving of grains doesn't only mean a slice of wheat bread. It can be wild rice, whole-wheat pasta, grits, bulgur, cornmeal muffins, or even popcorn.

Combine foods from each major group however you like. For example, you might make a meal of tortillas (grain group) and beans (meat and beans group). Or you could top your fish with fruit salsa or serve steamed vegetables over pasta. The possibilities are endless.

Select your meals and snacks wisely. Make the most of what you eat by choosing nutrient-rich foods within each group. And if you need to avoid foods from one or more food groups — for example, if you don't consume dairy products because of lactose intolerance — choose other foods that are good sources of the nutrients found in those foods.

Remember to be open and creative, and go for good taste! Eating well and eating healthy are very compatible.

Basic principles of all food pyramids

With the variety of food pyramids available, you may wonder which one to follow. It may help to know that the basic principles of food pyramids are largely the same and generally emphasize the following:

• Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Reduce intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
• Limit sweets and salt.
• Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
• Control portion sizes and the total number of calories you consume.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine.