Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Healthy eating is not hard. The key is to:
- Eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products
- Eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products
- Drink lots of water
- Limit salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat in your diet
Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarines, and shortenings.
Are you ready to make small changes that will have a big impact on your health? Check out the “Together Counts” website for information you need to know to help you meet some of the challenges that might get in the way! Find additional resources on the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation website.
Start Here
ChoseMyPlate.gov (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Nutrition.gov (U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Food and Nutrition Research Briefs (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine)
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets (National Institutes of Health)
Health Check Tools
Food-A-Pedia (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
SuperTracker: My Foods. My Fitness. My Health. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Smart Reading
Healthy Eating for Men (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Healthy Eating for Women (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Diet Choices to Prevent Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less: 10 Tips to Enjoying Your Meal (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Fast Food: Tips for Choosing Healthier Options (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Healthy Cooking Techniques (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
How Do I Change Recipes? (American Heart Association) – PDF
How Many Calories? Look at the Menu! (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Make Celebrations Fun, Healthy, and Active: 10 Tips to Creating Healthy, Active Events (Department of Agriculture) – PDF
Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives and Colors (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Shopping List: Basic Ingredients for a Healthy Kitchen (American Cancer Society)
Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Affordable Vegetables and Fruits (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Smart Substitutions for Healthy Cooking (American Heart Association)
Tips for Healthy Dining Out (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Unexplained Weight Loss (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
What’s So Super about Superfoods? (American Heart Association)
Pregnancy
Healthy Eating During Pregnancy (Food Insight)
5 Nutrition and Food Safety Pregnancy Myths (Food Insight)
Choline Facts (Egg Nutrition Center)
Join A Clinical Trial
ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
Scientific Societies
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
American Society for Nutrition
Institute of Food Technologists
International Food Information Council Foundation