Macronutrients - the main nutrients you get from food - are carbs, fat, and protein. If you don’t eat many vegetables, start by adding a favorite veggie to one or two meals per day and build from there.Īlthough you may not enjoy trying new foods, research shows that the more you’re exposed to a food, the greater your chances of growing accustomed to it ( 18, 19). If that’s the case, try to introduce new foods one at a time. Still, eating a variety of foods may be difficult if you’re a picky eater. Diet diversityĪnother component of healthy eating is dietary diversity, meaning eating a variety of foods.įollowing a diet that’s rich in different kinds of food supports your gut bacteria, promotes a healthy body weight, and protects against chronic disease ( 14, 15, 16, 17). These foods include veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, fatty fish, and eggs. If your food choices are based solely on calories, you’re missing the point of healthy eating.Īs a general rule, try to mostly eat foods that are high in nutrients like protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. On the same token, just because a food is low in calories doesn’t make it a healthy choice. Just because a food is high in calories doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you. Plus, although some nutrient-dense foods, such as numerous fruits and veggies, are low in calories, many - like nuts, full fat yogurt, egg yolks, avocado, and fatty fish - are high in calories. That’s because of the nutritious, high fat yolk that eggs contain. However, an egg white provides 1% or less of the Daily Value (DV) for iron, phosphorus, zinc, choline, and vitamins A and B12, while a whole egg packs 5–21% of the DV for these nutrients ( 12, 13). Similarly, foods marketed as “diet-friendly” or “low calorie” may be very low in calories but lack nutrients.įor example, egg whites are much lower in calories and fat than whole eggs. “Nutrient density” refers to the amount of nutrients in a food in relation to the calories it provides ( 11).Īll foods contain calories, but not all foods are nutrient-dense.įor example, a candy bar or a box of mac and cheese may be incredibly high in calories but lack vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. That’s because nutrients, including protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, and minerals, are what your body needs to thrive. Even though calories are important, your primary concern should be nutrients. When you conceptualize healthy eating, your first thought might be about calories. Now that you know why healthy eating is important, let’s cover some nutrition basics. Healthy eating is important for many reasons, including fueling your body, acquiring necessary nutrients, lowering your disease risk, increasing your longevity, and promoting optimal mental and physical well-being. What’s more, if your current diet is high in ultra-processed foods and beverages like fast food, soda, and sugary cereals but low in whole foods like vegetables, nuts, and fish, you’re likely not eating enough of certain nutrients, which may negatively affect your overall health ( 10). While diets rich in ultra-processed foods are linked to increased mortality and a greater risk of conditions like cancer and heart disease, diets comprising mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods are associated with increased longevity and disease protection ( 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).ĭiets rich in highly processed foods may also increase the risk of depressive symptoms, particularly among people who get less exercise ( 4, 9). People with obesity have a significantly increased risk of illnesses like type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart, liver, and kidney disease ( 1, 2).Īdditionally, the quality of your diet affects your disease risk, longevity, and mental health. Likewise, if you eat too many calories, you may experience weight gain. If your diet is deficient in calories or one or more nutrients, your health may suffer. Before we dive into what healthy eating means, it’s important to explain why it matters.įirst, food is what fuels you and delivers the calories and nutrients your body needs to function.
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