2.2: Keys to Healthy Eating

Key Factors in a Healthy Food Plan

Achieving a healthy diet is a matter of balancing the quality and quantity of food that is eaten. There are five key factors involved:

• A diet must be adequate by providing sufficient amounts of each essential nutrient, as well as fiber and Calories.
• A balanced diet results when you do not consume one nutrient at the expense of another but rather get appropriate amounts of all nutrients.
• Moderation means not eating to the extremes, neither too much nor too little.
• Calorie control is necessary so that the amount of energy you get from the nutrients you consume equals the amount of energy you expend during your day’s activities.
• Variety refers to consuming different foods from within each of the food groups on a regular basis.

A healthy diet is one that favors whole foods. As an alternative to modern processed foods, a healthy diet focuses on “real” fresh whole foods that have been sustaining people throughout the millenniums. Whole foods supply the needed vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber that are essential to good health. Commercially prepared and fast foods are often lacking nutrients and often contain inordinate amounts of sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats, all of which are associated with the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other illnesses. A balanced diet is a mix of food from different food groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, protein foods, and dairy).

Adequacy

An adequate diet is one that favors nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foods are defined as foods that contain many essential nutrients per calorie. Nutrient-dense or "nutrient-rich" foods are the opposite of “empty-calorie” foods, such as sugary carbonated beverages, which are also called “nutrient-poor.” Nutrient-dense foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes, nuts and seeds and no-sugar added dairy products.

Does your diet contain nutrient-dense foods? Table \(\PageIndex{1}\) provides ideas for improving nutrient density.

Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): The Smart Choice: Nutrient-Dense Food Alternatives

Instead of…	Replace with…
Sweetened yogurt	Plain yogurt with fresh fruit
Sweetened milk (chocolate, strawberry)	Traditional unsweetened milk
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks	Seltzer mixed with 100% fruit juice
Sweetened cereals	Whole grain cereals with fresh fruit
Apple or berry pie	Fresh apple or berries
Deep-fried French fries	Oven-baked French fries or sweet potato baked fries
Fried vegetables	Steamed or roasted vegetables
Bacon or Sausage	Lean ham or Canadian Bacon
Recipes that call for sugar	Experiment with reducing the amount of sugar and adding spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla)

Balance

Balance the foods in your diet. Achieving balance in your diet entails not consuming one nutrient at the expense of another. For example, calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones, but too much calcium will interfere with iron absorption. Most foods that are good sources of iron are poor sources of calcium, so to get the necessary amounts of calcium and iron from your diet, a proper balance between food choices is critical. Another example is that although sodium is a vital nutrient, in overabundance, it can contribute to high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Remember, nutrients must be consumed in the proper amounts.

Moderation

Eat in moderation. Moderation is crucial for optimal health and survival. Burgers, French fries, cake, and ice cream each night for dinner will lead to health complications. Condiments that may contribute added sodium, sugar or fat should be considered within your calorie goals. But as part of an otherwise healthful diet and consumed only on an occasional basis, these foods should not have too much of an impact on overall health. It’s important to remember that eating is, in part, about enjoyment and indulging with a spirit of moderation. This fits within a healthy food plan.

Calorie Control

Monitor food portions. For optimum weight maintenance, it is important to ensure that energy consumed from foods meets the energy expenditures required for body functions and activity. If not, the excess energy contributes to gradual, steady weight gain. To lose weight, you need to ensure that more Calories are burned than consumed. Likewise, to gain weight, Calories must be eaten in excess of what is expended daily.

Variety

Variety involves eating different foods from all the food groups. Eating a varied diet helps to ensure that you receive all the nutrients necessary. One of the major drawbacks of a monotonous diet is the risk of consuming too much of some nutrients and not enough of others. Trying new foods can also be a source of pleasure—you never know what foods you might like until you try them!

Table \(\PageIndex{2}\):Ideas for Eating a Variety of Healthy Choices

Grain	Vegetable	Fruit	Dairy	Protein
Whole-grain products: oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, bulgur, kasha, farrow, wheat berries, corn, rye berries, amaranth, spelt, teff	Dark green: broccoli, kale, spinach, collards, romaine lettuce, turnip greens	Apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, mangoes, lemons, limes peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, plums, prunes	All fluid milk (fat-free, low-fat, reduced-fat, whole milk, lactose-free), fortified dairy alternatives (almond milk, soy milk); yogurt (unsweetened)	Meats: beef, pork, lamb
	Red and orange: Acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes	Berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries	Hard natural cheeses: Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan	Poultry: chicken, turkey, goose, duck
	Other vegetables: Asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, green peppers, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips	Melons: cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon	Soft cheeses: ricotta, cottage	Eggs
	Beans and peas: Black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, split peas, white beans			Beans and peas: (see vegetable column)
	Starchy: Potatoes, Cassava, green bananas, green peas, green lima beans, plantains, taro, water chestnuts			Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts,  pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds
				Seafood: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, pollock, porgy, salmon, sea bass, snapper, swordfish, trout, tuna
				Shellfish: crab, shrimp, scallops, mussels, lobster

Developing a healthful diet can be rewarding, but be mindful that all of the principles presented must be followed to derive maximal health benefits. For instance, introducing variety in your diet can still result in the consumption of too many high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods and inadequate nutrient intake if you do not also employ moderation and Calorie control. Using all of these principles together will afford you lasting health benefits.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Widening your food palate will increase your intake of vital nutrients. "Breakfast!"¹ by amytrippmyers is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Attributions

• Zimmerman, "An Introduction to Nutrition (Zimmerman)," CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original material was reorganized and updated.

References

1. Amytrippmyers. Breakfast! Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/91782508@N05/9040091147. Published June 14, 2013. Accessed June 30, 2023.