Healthy eating
means choosing a variety of foods from the
basic food groups: meat and meat substitutes; dairy; fruits and vegetables;
grains, such as breads and pasta; and a limited amount of fats and sweets. As
simple as this sounds, it's not always easy to get the nutrition you need. You
may eat more of your favorite foods from only one food group, and as a result,
get less of other food groups. Or perhaps you opt for convenience over quality
when you are hungry.
Healthy eating requires some planning and
purpose and an effort to include a variety of foods in your meals. If you look
closely at how you eat, you might find you aren't getting enough nutrients
because you don't get the recommended number of servings from each food
group.
So, not only is it important to pay attention to what you
eat but also to what food groups you may not eat enough of. To accomplish this,
keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink for 1 week. Pay attention to
serving sizes, and check to see if you are eating a variety of foods from each
of the food groups. You don't need to meet the minimum number every day, but
try to get the recommended intake on average over a week. If you are not
getting the recommended amount of servings from each food group, you may be
missing important nutrients. For example, if you rarely eat fruits or
vegetables, you may not get enough vitamin C, beta-carotene, or potassium.
Making a few small changes can help ensure that you're eating a variety of
healthy foods.
Do I have to make dramatic changes in how I eat?
After you are aware of food groups that you may be missing or other ways
that your eating is out of balance, you can begin to make a few small changes
toward healthier eating habits. For example, simply adding a yogurt as a snack
might be enough to meet your milk servings. Adding a sliced banana to your
cereal will take care of a fruit serving.
Paying attention to
serving sizes is also important. You may not know that a serving size of cereal
is only 1 oz (28 g), which is ½ to 1 cup for most cereals. That means a typical
bowl full of cereal is usually far more than a serving. So instead of a big
bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast, have one or two servings (1 to 2 oz) of
cereal with a sliced banana, and have a small glass (1 cup) of juice. Try
low-fat or nonfat milk or soy milk instead of whole milk on your cereal to
reduce the amount of fat you take in.
If you find that you
rarely eat fruits or vegetables, make it a goal to include a serving or two at
each meal. Only ½ cup of a cooked vegetable or 1 cup of salad greens counts as
one serving. Drinking a small can of tomato juice, adding lettuce to your
sandwich, putting tomato sauce on your pasta-these are all ways to boost your
vegetable servings.
As you make changes, continue with your food
diary. Set a weekly goal as you add or change what you are eating. For example,
this week make it your goal to order a salad instead of french fries, add
vegetables to your pizza, or bring a yogurt to work every day.
Just remember, food is one of life's greatest pleasures. All foods, if
eaten in moderation, can be a part of healthy eating. If your favorite foods
are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, limit how often you eat them, eat
smaller servings, or look for healthy substitutes. Your key to healthy,
balanced eating is moderation. Eat a wide variety of foods, especially those
high in nutrients, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy
products, lean meats, fish, poultry, cooked dry beans, nuts, and seeds.
Can eating healthier protect me from diseases?
Healthy eating can actually help you lower your risk for disease.
To prevent disease, the 2005 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans recommend eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. The guidelines also emphasize
balancing the food you eat with your activity to maintain your weight, drinking
alcohol in moderation (no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day
for women), and limiting foods high in salt, saturated fat, trans fat,
cholesterol, and added sugar.
Do I need to follow a low-salt, low-carbohydrate, or low-fat diet?
Everyone can benefit from eating healthy foods, but not
everyone has the same nutritional needs. Pregnant women, growing children, and
older adults will have different needs for certain nutrients. People who have
high blood pressure need to watch how much salt they eat. Those who have high
cholesterol may be on a cholesterol-lowering diet that restricts saturated and
trans fats and cholesterol. And people who have diabetes will need to spread
the carbohydrate that they eat throughout the day.
If you are
generally healthy and don't have health issues that require a special diet,
it's still wise to watch how much salt, fat, and added sugar you eat, in order
to prevent diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Limit the
amount of salt you get by eating as many fresh foods as possible. Processed
foods, fast food, and restaurant foods are the major sources of dietary sodium.
Prepared foods, such as soups, snack foods, and canned foods, are also
extremely high in salt. Also watch the amount of fat you eat. Replace saturated
and trans fats with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil.
Include healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and
canola oil.
Low-carbohydrate diets may help some people lose
weight initially, but they may not be healthy over a long period of time.
Low-carb diets are high in total fat and saturated fat and are low in fiber.
They also restrict grains, fruits, and vegetables, which protect against
disease and provide important nutrients. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans list fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products as
food groups to choose from, for the greatest benefit.
Does eating healthier mean I have to go on a diet?
Eating healthier does not mean that you need to go on a restrictive diet.
Eating healthier means making changes that you can stay with over time.
Consistently eating foods that are low in
saturated fats and trans fats and that include whole
grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (such as olive oil) will lower
your risk for disease.
Being physically active along with healthy
eating will improve your health even further. Regular physical activity
significantly reduces the risk of heart disease,
high blood pressure,
stroke,
type 2 diabetes,
obesity,
anxiety,
depression, and cancers of the breast and
colon.1
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
To eat healthier, you
first need to know what makes up a
balanced diet. A nutritional guideline such as
MyPyramid will show you how many servings of each food
group you need for a healthy, balanced diet. The guidelines stress whole grains
and fruits and vegetables, and limited fat and sugar. After you know what foods
make up a balanced diet, you can figure out what changes you need to make.
Keep a
food diary(What is a PDF document?)
for a week or two and record everything you eat or drink. Make
sure to track the number of servings you get from each food group.
Most people
need:
5 to 8 one-ounce-equivalents of grain products each day. Get at
least half of your grain requirements from whole grains. A one-ounce-equivalent
is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice,
cooked pasta, or cooked cereal.
1½ to 2 cups of fruits each
day.
2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day.
3 cups of
nonfat or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products each day. An equivalent for
1 cup of milk is 1 cup of yogurt, 1½ oz of cheese, or 2 oz of processed cheese.
5 to 6½ one-ounce-equivalents of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans,
nuts, or eggs each day. A one-ounce-equivalent is ¼ cup of tofu (soybean curd),
1 tablespoon of peanut butter, ½ oz (1 Tbsp) of nuts or seeds, 1 egg, or ¼ cup
of cooked dry beans, peas, or lentils.
After the first week, review your food diary. Ask yourself a few
questions: Are you getting the minimum number of servings from each food group,
on the average? Do you get plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day?
Are most of the foods you eat low in fat, sugar, and salt? Do you prepare meals
at home, or do you eat more fast foods or convenience foods? Do you drink
beverages that contain a lot of sugar? Do you drink plenty of water?
The number of calories you need each day depends on your age, whether you
are male or female, and your activity level. In general:2
Less active women and older adults need
between 1,600 and 2,000 calories.
Active women and most less
active men need between 2,000 and 2,400 calories each day.
Active
men need between 2,400 and 3,000 calories each day.
These calorie amounts may vary from day to day, and
are meant to be an average over several days. Pay attention to how hungry you
are, and how full you are, instead of counting calories. Eating regular meals
can help you be more aware of hunger and fullness.
Step 2: Start thinking about changes
Look over
your food diary.
Do you find that you eat out a lot? If so, you
may be getting more fat, salt, and calories than you need. Do you eat a lot of
meat but not many vegetables? Your diet may be too high in saturated fats and
low in fiber. Do you rely on packaged convenience foods for a lot of your
meals? If so, you may be getting more salt and sugar than what is healthy for
you.
Start reading
labels on convenience foods that you eat, to see the
amount of nutrients they contain. Fast-food and convenience-food meals often
contain few or no fruits or vegetables. Adding some fruits and vegetables on
the side will make the meal more nutritious.
Don't try to make big changes
in your eating habits all at the same time. You will likely feel overwhelmed
and deprived of your favorite foods and, therefore, will be more likely to
fail. Start slowly, and gradually change your habits. Try any of the
following:
Use whole wheat bread instead of white
bread.
Eat brown rice instead of white rice.
Try whole
wheat pasta instead of pasta made with white flour. Or try a mixture of the
two.
Use skim (nonfat) or 1% (low-fat) milk instead of whole milk
or 2% milk.
Try low-fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt.
Add
more fruits and vegetables to meals, and/or have fruits and vegetables for
snacks.
Add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion to
sandwiches.
To make healthy
choices, you need to know how certain foods affect your body.
Fat: Learn the
differences between types of fats. Saturated and trans
(hydrogenated) fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase your risk for
coronary artery disease. Monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats may reduce your risk of developing coronary artery
disease.3 And omega-3 fatty acids are part of a
heart-healthy diet. They are found in fish, such as
trout, tuna, and salmon, as well as in plant foods, such as walnuts, flaxseed,
and canola oil.
Carbohydrate:Learn the
differences between types of carbohydrate. Choose whole-grain sources of
carbohydrate found in unprocessed cereal grains, such as brown rice instead of
white rice and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Whole-grain sources of
carbohydrate add
fiber and reduce the risk of heart disease.3 Other high-fiber carbohydrate sources include vegetables and
cooked dry beans.
Sugar: Milk and fruits
contain naturally occurring simple sugars along with many other
vitamins and
minerals. Foods with added sugar, such as granola bars
and fruit drinks that are not 100% real fruit juice, often are high in calories
but low in vitamins and minerals. Added sugars can make food taste better, but
too much added sugar can fill you up and leave less room for other more
nutritious foods.
Food is one of
life's greatest pleasures. All foods can be a part of a healthy diet. If your
favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, limit how often you
eat them, but don't cut them out entirely. Eat smaller servings, eat them less
often, or look for healthy substitutes. The key to a healthy, balanced diet is
moderation. Eat a wide variety of foods, especially those high in nutrients,
such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats,
poultry, fish, cooked dry beans, nuts, and seeds.
Find creative ways to add fruits and vegetables to meals
Add apple chunks, pineapple, and raisins to
tuna salad.
Add lots of colorful vegetables, such as red cabbage,
carrots, and spinach, to green salads. Top with orange, nectarine, or
grapefruit slices.
Add green, red, or yellow pepper strips,
carrots, cucumber, and broccoli to a pasta or potato salad.
Add
vegetables to pizza and sandwiches, and add fruits to yogurt and
cereals.
There are
usually healthy options at every restaurant, even at fast-food places. The type
of restaurant you choose can help you make healthy choices. Ethnic restaurants,
such as Indian, Thai, or Japanese, have lots of healthy dishes on the menu.
Many fast-food chains are now offering healthier choices on the menu.
If you eat out a lot, try the following:
Order a veggie pizza with a whole wheat crust
or add lots of veggies to your pepperoni pizza. Order a veggie pizza with
grilled chicken instead of sausage or pepperoni. Ask for less cheese on your
pizza.
Order a pasta with roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, or
marinara sauce. Choose cream-based sauces less often.
Order a
vegetable wrap or a grilled chicken wrap.
Order vegetable soup or
other broth-based soup, if available. Choose cream-based soups less
often.
Choose a variety of vegetables from a salad
bar.
Order foods that are broiled or poached rather than fried or
breaded.
Cut back on butter or margarine used on bread. Another
healthy choice is to dip bread in small amounts of olive oil instead.
Order sauces, gravies, and salad dressings on the side so you can
control how much you use.
Share appetizers, desserts, and even
entrees with your dining partner.
Ask for salsa with a baked potato
instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or bacon.
Order a child's
portion or take half of your meal home.
Order the smallest portions
at fast-food restaurants (resist the big meal at a reduced price). Try a salad
or a broiled chicken sandwich.
Eating healthy
doesn't have to take a lot of time. You can prepare a healthy meal just as
quickly as an unhealthy one. It's just a matter of planning ahead, having the
right foods on hand, and learning how to cook quick, healthy meals.
Ask friends or coworkers who eat healthfully how they manage to find
time. Get family members involved and ask them to help prepare meals or do
other tasks. Find a cookbook or collect recipes that feature time-saving
ideas.
To help make preparing meals more fun, take a cooking class
with a friend or loved one. Learn to prepare healthy ethnic dishes-such as
Mediterranean, Indian, and Japanese foods-that you can share with your family
and friends.
Try following these tips for making fast, healthy
meals and snacks:
Buy packaged, prewashed, ready-to-eat fresh
vegetables, such as baby carrots, salad mixes, and chopped or shredded broccoli
and cauliflower.
Buy packaged, presliced fruits, such as melon or
pineapple.
Find recipes using foods that don't require a lot of
cleaning and preparation, such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or grapes.
Blend low-fat yogurt, fruit juice, and canned or frozen fruit to
make a smoothie for breakfast or a snack.
Use frozen vegetables to
make a stir-fry with skinless chicken. Serve on top of a quick brown rice or
whole wheat pasta.
Add frozen vegetables to a jar of marinara
spaghetti sauce and serve on whole wheat pasta.
Cook potatoes or
other vegetables in a microwave.
Cook vegetables and fruits over
the grill. Drizzle them with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Or put them
on a skewer and cook directly on the grill.
Make a fast fruit
salad with sliced bananas, apples, blueberries, and a can of mandarin
oranges.
Healthy,
balanced eating habits provide nutrients to your body. Nutrients give you
energy and keep your heart beating, your brain active, and your muscles
working. Nutrients help build and strengthen bones, muscles, and tendons and
also regulate body processes, such as blood pressure.
As you plan
healthy meals, keep these three points in mind:
Balance:A balanced
diet helps ensure that you get all the nutrients you need. Use the
USDA MyPyramid to learn how.
Variety: Eat
a wide variety of foods. No one food provides all the nutrients you need.
Choose a wide variety among and within the food groups.
Moderation: Use moderation as your guide for everything,
including the calories you eat each day, your exercise and other activities,
your desserts and sweets, and even your restrictions. Moderation lets you eat
all foods.
Three essential nutrients (macronutrients) are
protein,
carbohydrate, and
fat. They provide
energy (as measured in calories) to the body.
Provides energy and
essential fatty acids; carries other fat-soluble
nutrients (vitamins); is part of cell membranes, membranes around nerves,
hormones, bile (for fat digestion)
Meat, poultry, fish, milk and milk products,
nuts and seeds, oils, butter, margarine, salad dressing
In addition to the essential nutrients, foods also contain nonnutrients
that can affect your body. These include
fiber and
phytochemicals (found in plants), many of which are
protective against disease. Some of these compounds act as
antioxidants, which protect the body's cells from
damage. For example, lycopene is an antioxidant that is found in tomatoes and
tomato products.
B. Healthy eating can lower your risk for disease.
Healthy foods can help you prevent and treat disease. Eating more fruits
and vegetables as part of a
heart-healthy diet can help lower blood pressure.
Eating more fruits and vegetables may also lower your risk of lung, oral,
esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer. And eating less
saturated fat may also lower your risk for cancer and
heart disease.4 For more information, see:
Heart disease and
stroke. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and
whole-grain products that are high in fiber may lower your risk of heart
disease and stroke.3 For more information, see the
topic
Coronary Artery Disease.
High blood pressure. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, following a low-fat
diet, eating low-fat dairy products, and reducing salt intake can lower high
blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.5
For more information, see the topic
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) or:
Osteoporosis.
Not getting enough
calcium and
vitamin D contributes to bone thinning. Try to eat
foods with calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is found in dairy products, some
leafy green vegetables, and in foods that are calcium-enriched. Vitamin D is
found in vitamin D-fortified milk, egg yolks, liver, and saltwater fish. For
more information, see the topic
Osteoporosis.
Spina bifida.
Pregnant women should eat foods that contain folate-such as leafy green
vegetables or
folic acid-enriched grains-before and during
pregnancy, to help protect babies from this birth defect. All women of
childbearing age should get 400 micrograms of folic acid from fortified foods
or supplements each day.2 For more information, see
the topic
Spina Bifida.
C. Healthy eating can help you manage certain diseases.
Diabetes
If you have
diabetes, healthy eating can help you control your
blood sugar, and prevent or reduce complications of diabetes. For more
information on the role of nutrition in treating diabetes, see the topics
Type 1 Diabetes and
Type 2 Diabetes.
High cholesterol
You may be able to lower your cholesterol
levels by eating foods low in
saturated and trans fats and cholesterol and high in
soluble fiber. For more information about nutrition's effect on cholesterol and
heart disease, see the topic High Cholesterol.
High blood pressure
Making changes in the way you
eat may help lower blood pressure.
Eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables
each day.
Eat 3 servings of low-fat dairy products each
day.
Eat foods low in total fat and saturated
fat.
Reduce the amount of salt you eat.
For more
information, see the topic High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).
Vegetarian Diets and Organic Foods
Vegetarianism
Some people choose to follow a vegetarian diet, which means they
eat mostly plant-based foods (grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and
seeds). For more information, see the topic
Vegetarian Diets.
There are several
different forms of vegetarian diets:
Vegans, or total vegetarians, eat only plant
foods. They do not eat red meat, poultry, fish, milk products, eggs, or other
foods that come from animals, such as honey and
gelatin.
Lacto-vegetarians include milk products-such as milk,
cheese, and yogurt-in their diet.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians include
milk products and eggs in their diets.
Semi-vegetarians may include
poultry and fish in their diets, but they do not eat red meat.
If properly planned, vegetarian diets are healthy and
can provide all the nutrients a person needs. As a group, vegetarians
have:6
When considering a vegetarian diet, many people are
concerned that they will not
get enough protein. This nutrient is made of building blocks called
amino acids. Although the human body can make some of
these amino acids, nine of them (the essential amino acids) must be obtained
from food. Soy foods and animal sources of
protein (milk, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood)
contain all the essential amino acids in the amounts our bodies need.
Most plant foods contain the essential amino acids in varying amounts, so
vegetarians need to eat a variety of plant foods to make sure they get enough
of all nine essential amino acids. For example, legumes (cooked dried beans,
dried peas, and lentils) are low in sulfur-containing amino acids (such as
methionine), but they are high in another amino acid called lysine. Grains are
just the opposite. So if you eat both foods during the course of a day, you can
get all the essential amino acids your body needs.
When the amino
acids from two or more foods add up to make a complete protein, those foods are
called 'complementary proteins.' Examples of complementary proteins are:
Beans and tortillas.
Black beans
and rice.
Chili and corn bread.
Pita bread with
hummus (ground garbanzo beans and sesame seed paste).
You do not need to consciously combine these foods at
every meal. Eating them throughout the course of a day will provide your body
with adequate protein.
Protein is not the only nutrient of
concern in a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians also need to make sure they are
getting the following nutrients:
Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found only in foods
from animal sources, such as milk, eggs, and meat. Vegans either need to eat
foods fortified with vitamin B12 (such as fortified soy milk) or take a
supplement that contains vitamin B12.
Iron. Vegetarian iron sources include cooked dry
beans, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified grain products. Iron from
plant foods is not absorbed as well as iron from meats, so it is important for
vegetarians to regularly eat iron-rich foods. Eating foods that contain vitamin
C will improve the absorption of iron from a meal.
Calcium. Vegetarians who do not use milk or milk
products need to get calcium from other sources. Soy milk and orange juice
fortified with calcium are good sources. Other
nonmilk sources of calcium include seeds, nuts, and
certain green vegetables.
Zinc. Zinc from plant foods is poorly absorbed,
so it is important for vegetarians to get enough zinc. Good sources of zinc
include leavened whole grains (such as whole wheat bread), legumes (beans and
lentils), soy foods, and vegetables.
Vitamin D. Vegetarians who do not use milk or
milk products may not get enough
vitamin D. But soy milk is often fortified with
vitamin D, as are some cereals. Your body can also make vitamin D when exposed
to sunlight on a regular basis.
Supplements may be needed if you don't consume a
source of vitamin D and don't get adequate sunlight.
As a vegetarian, you can still use
MyPyramid. Use the following guidelines:
In the meat and meat substitutes group, use
the following as a substitute for
1 oz (28 g) of meat:
¼ cup cooked dry beans, peas, or
lentils
1 egg or 2 egg whites
½ oz (1 Tbsp) nuts or
seeds
¼ cup tofu or tempeh
1 Tbsp peanut butter
In the milk and milk products group, use the
serving sizes listed in MyPyramid. If you do not use milk, use soy milk
fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Count
1 cup (8 fl oz) as one serving.
Fortified soy cheese or soy yogurt also may be used.
Eat according to the pyramid for the other food groups.
Use whole grains as much as possible, and eat at least 1 cup of dark green
vegetables each day to help meet your iron needs.
You can fit a
vegetarian diet into the dietary guidelines quite easily:
Eat a variety of foods. Include whole grains and
a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. Use soy products, legumes, nuts, and
seeds to replace meat and, if desired, dairy products and eggs.
Choose plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits. Use foods closest to their natural state, fresh and
unprocessed, and minimize your intake of heavily processed foods.
Choose foods moderate in fat and low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. If you eat animal foods, such as dairy
products, choose lower-fat versions of these foods. Try not to use these foods
as your main sources of protein, because they may replace plant sources of
protein in your diet-such as legumes, nuts, and seeds-which contribute the iron
you need.
Do not restrict dietary fat in children younger than 2 years old. For older children, include some foods that are higher in
unsaturated fats (such as nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters, avocado, and
vegetable oils, and milk products and eggs, if desired) to help meet their
nutrient and energy needs.
Choose beverages and foods that limit your sugar intake. Minimize your intake of highly sweetened and heavily
processed foods.
Vegans need to include a source of vitamin B12
(fortified foods or a supplement) in their diets. They also need to include a
source of vitamin D if their exposure to sunlight is limited. People who live
in the northern half of the United States do not get enough sun exposure during
the winter months.
If you are raising an infant or child to eat a vegetarian diet, consider the following:
Infants who are consuming only breast milk should have
supplements of iron after the age of 4 to 6 months. (This is not necessary if
you add iron-fortified infant cereal to the child's diet at this
age.)
If your child does not get much sun exposure, add a food
source or a supplement of vitamin D to the child's diet. Most doctors suggest
daily vitamin D supplements for children and teens, starting by age 2 months.
Talk with your doctor about how much and what sources of vitamin D are right
for your child.
Breast-fed infants of vegan mothers need vitamin
B12 supplements if the mother's diet is not fortified.6
Organic foods
Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and
dairy products come from animals that eat organically grown feed, and they are
not given
antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is
produced without using most conventional pesticides, genetic engineering, or
radiation, and its production emphasizes using renewable resources and
conserving soil and water.
Organic foods are not free of
pesticide residues, but they do contain smaller amounts than found in foods
that are not organic. Organic foods are an alternative source of foods for
those who are concerned about pesticides in foods.
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets guidelines for the production of organic
foods and for when the
organic-food label can be used.
There is
debate over whether organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally
produced food, and the USDA makes no claims that organic foods are safer or
more nutritious.
Certain groups of
people need to pay attention to specific nutrients, including:
Infants and children, who may need
supplements such as iron, vitamin D, and fluoride.
Girls and women, who may need iron, folic acid, and calcium supplements, for
example.
People who are recovering from an accident or an illness,
have a chronic disease, or are unable to eat a variety of foods. People with
these problems may need a dietary supplement to help meet their nutrition
needs.
People older than 50. Because people older than 50 tend to
have trouble absorbing enough vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D, it is
recommended that they take a supplement or eat more of the foods that contain
these nutrients.
Dietary supplements can't make up for poor eating habits.
They don't contain all the vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, and
phytochemicals found in food. For most healthy people,
a balanced diet can provide all the nutrients needed for good health, and
supplements are not necessary. Ask a
registered dietitian or other health professional
whether you need to take vitamin or mineral supplements.
You may get more information about diets for these
conditions by contacting a registered dietitian in your area.
Other Places To Get Help
Organizations
American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Phone:
1-800-366-1655
E-mail:
knowledge@eatright.org
Web Address:
www.eatright.org
The American Dietetic Association sets standards for all types of
prescribed diets. The Consumer Nutrition Hot Line is available Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CST), in both Spanish and English. The organization
produces a variety of consumer information, including videos and CD-ROM
products, and will help you find a registered dietitian in your area who
provides nutrition counseling.
Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition
5100 Paint Branch Parkway
College Park, MD 20740-3835
Phone:
1-888-SAFE FOOD (1-888-723-3366)
TDD:
1-800-877-8339
Web Address:
www.cfsan.fda.gov
The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
is a part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CFSAN is responsible
for promoting and protecting the nation's food supply. Its mission is to make
sure that the food supply is sanitary and wholesome, and that both food and
cosmetics are safe and honestly labeled. The Web site has information on recent
news, national food safety programs, and program areas such as color additives,
dietary supplements, and infant formula. It also provides info on areas of
special interest and selected non-FDA resources. The "Bad Bug Book" can be
found here in the food-borne illness section.
Food and Nutrition Information
Center
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Suite 105
Beltsville, MD 20705
Phone:
(301) 504-5414
Fax:
(301) 504-6409
Web Address:
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
This U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site has
information about nutrition, food labels, weight, dietary guidelines, food
safety, supplements, nutrition research, and more.
National Agricultural Library:
Nutrition.gov
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705
Phone:
(301) 504-5414
Fax:
(301) 504-6409
Web Address:
www.nutrition.gov
This Web site has information on nutrition, healthy
eating, exercise, and food safety. You can use an e-mail form to ask a
food-related question.
U.S. Department of Agriculture:
MyPyramid
3101 Park Center Drive
Suite 1034
Alexandria, VA 22302
Phone:
1-888-7-PYRAMID (1-888-779-7264)
E-mail:
support@cnpp.usda.gov
Web Address:
www.mypyramid.gov
The MyPyramid food guidance Web site provides many
options to help people make healthy food choices and to be active every day.
Enter your age, gender, and activity level to get a food plan specific to your
needs. You can also print out worksheets for tracking your progress and goals.
On this Web site, you'll find answers to many of your questions about healthy
eating.
Simon HB (2003). Diet and exercise. In DC Dale, DD
Federman, eds., Scientific American Medicine, Clinical
Essentials, chap. 4. New York: WebMD.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (2005). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, 6th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office. Also available online:
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
American Heart Association (2006). Diet and lifestyle
recommendations revision 2006. Circulation, 114(1):
82-96. [Erratum in Circulation, 114(1): e27.]
American Cancer Society (2006, revised 2008). American Cancer Society guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention. Available online: http://documents.cancer.org/6753.25/6753.25.pdf.
Appel LJ, et al. (2006). Dietary approaches to prevent
and treat hypertension: A scientific statement from the American Heart
Association. Hypertension, 47(2): 296-308.
Mangels AR, et al. (2003). Position of the American
Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(6):
748-765. Also available online:
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm.
Other Works Consulted
Havas S, et al. (2007). The urgent need to reduce
sodium consumption. JAMA, 298(12): 1439-1441.
American Dietetic Association (ADA) (2005). Position
of the American Dietetic Association: Fortification and nutritional
supplements. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(8): 1300-1311. Also available online:
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_932_ENU_HTML.htm.
American Dietetic Association (ADA) (2005). Position
of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrition across the spectrum of aging.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(4):
616-633. Also available online:
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_1735_ENU_HTML.htm.
Escott-Stump S, Earl R (2008). Guidelines for dietary
planning. In LK Mahan, S Escott-Stump, eds., Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy, 12th ed., pp. 337-361. St. Louis: Saunders
Elsevier.
Gallagher ML (2008). The nutrients and their
metabolism. In LK Mahan, S Escott-Stump, eds., Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy, 12th ed., pp. 39-143. St. Louis, MO: Saunders
Elsevier.
Katz DL (2008). Dietary recommendations for health
promotion and disease prevention. In Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 2nd ed., pp. 434-447. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and
Wilkins.
Thorogood M, et al. (2005) Changing behaviour.
Clinical Evidence (14): 90-110.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Simon HB (2003). Diet and exercise. In DC Dale, DD
Federman, eds., Scientific American Medicine, Clinical
Essentials, chap. 4. New York: WebMD.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (2005). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, 6th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office. Also available online:
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
American Heart Association (2006). Diet and lifestyle
recommendations revision 2006. Circulation, 114(1):
82-96. [Erratum in Circulation, 114(1): e27.]
American Cancer Society (2006, revised 2008). American Cancer Society guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention. Available online: http://documents.cancer.org/6753.25/6753.25.pdf.
Appel LJ, et al. (2006). Dietary approaches to prevent
and treat hypertension: A scientific statement from the American Heart
Association. Hypertension, 47(2): 296-308.
Mangels AR, et al. (2003). Position of the American
Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(6):
748-765. Also available online:
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm.
