Nutrition

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

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.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services)
• Eat Healthy: Food Group Gallery (Department of Agriculture)
• MyPlate Food Guide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• MyPlate.gov (Department of Agriculture)
• Nutrition.gov (Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services)
• Plan Your Plate: Shifting to a Healthy Eating Style (National Institutes of Health)
• Start Simple with MyPlate App (Department of Agriculture)

Related Issues

• 4 Types of Foods that Boost Your Memory (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Diet Choices to Prevent Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Diet in the News -- What to Believe? (Harvard School of Public Health)
• Fast Food: Tips for Choosing Healthier Options (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Feeding Your Family on a Tight Budget (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Cooking Techniques (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Eating on a Budget (Department of Agriculture)
• How Do I Change Recipes? (American Heart Association) - PDF
• How Many Calories? Look at the Menu! (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Making Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives and Colors (Food and Drug Administration)
• Plants: Partners in Health? Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and You (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Sample Menus to Eat Right and Lose Weight (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Specifics

• 5 Top Foods for Eye Health (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Eat Healthy: Fruits (Department of Agriculture)
• Eat Healthy: Vegetables (Department of Agriculture)
• Eating Healthy Ethnic Food (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• FoodData Central (Department of Agriculture)
• Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Recipes (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Nutrition Facts for Cooked Seafood (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Nutrition Facts for Raw Vegetables (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF

Health Check Tools

• MyPlate Kitchen (Department of Agriculture)

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Diet/Nutrition (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutritional Physiological Phenomena (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Poor nutritional status correlates with mortality and worse postoperative outcomes in...
• Article: Association of malnutrition with postoperative complication risk after curative surgery for...
• Article: Association between household environmental conditions and nutritional status of women of...
• Nutrition -- see more articles
• Food additives -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
• Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Food and Drug Administration
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Teenagers

• Smarter snack ideas (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Men

• Nutrition for Young Men (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Women

• Healthy Eating for Women (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Patient Handouts

• Calorie count - fast food (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Eating extra calories when you are sick - adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Eating out (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Fast food tips (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Healthy grocery shopping (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• How to read food labels (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Managing your weight with healthy eating (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Nutrition Facts for Cooked Seafood (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Nutrition Facts for Raw Vegetables (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Snacks for adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish