Nutrition

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Latest News
• Diagnosis and Tests

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

• ChooseMyPlate.gov (Department of Agriculture)
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 (Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services)
• Let's Eat for the Health of It (Department of Agriculture) - PDF
• MyPlate Food Guide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Nutrition.gov (Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services)

Latest News

• High-Cal Foods May Raise Cancer Risk in Women, Even Without Weight Gain (08/17/2017, HealthDay)
• Not All Plant Foods Are Equal (07/17/2017, HealthDay)
• Sound Sleep May Help You Junk the Junk Food (07/14/2017, HealthDay)
• More News on Nutrition

Diagnosis and Tests

• Prealbumin Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Related Issues

• Deciphering Media Stories on Diet: Nutrition in the News (Harvard School of Public Health)
• Diet Choices to Prevent Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less: 10 Tips to Enjoying Your Meal (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• 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! (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Make Celebrations Fun, Healthy, and Active: 10 Tips to Creating Healthy, Active Events (Department of Agriculture) - PDF
• Making Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives and Colors (Food and Drug Administration)
• Plants: Partners in Health? Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and You (National Institutes of Health)
• Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits (Department of Agriculture) Also in Spanish
• Smart Substitutions for Healthy Cooking (American Heart Association)
• Unexplained Weight Loss (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• What's So Super about Superfoods? (American Heart Association)

Specifics

• Add More Vegetables to Your Day: 10 Tips to Help You Eat More Vegetables (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Eat Seafood Twice a Week: 10 Tips to Help You Eat More Seafood (Department of Agriculture) - PDF - In English and Spanish Also in Spanish
• Eating Healthy Ethnic Food (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Focus on Fruits: 10 Tips to Eat More Fruits (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Fresh, Frozen or Canned Fruits and Vegetables: All Can Be Healthy Choices! (American Heart Association)
• Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Liven Up Your Meals with Vegetables and Fruits (Department of Agriculture) - PDF
• Make Better Beverage Choices: 10 Tips to Get Started (Department of Agriculture) - PDF
• MyPlate (Department of Agriculture)
• National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference - Find Nutrient Value of Common Foods by Nutrient (Department of Agriculture)
• 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
• Soy Foods and Health (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

• Body Weight Planner (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Food-A-Pedia (Department of Agriculture)
• Interactive Menu Planner (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Make Your Calories Count (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• MyPlate Daily Checklist (Department of Agriculture)
• Search Recipes (Department of Agriculture) Also in Spanish
• SuperTracker: My Foods. My Fitness. My Health. (Department of Agriculture)

Statistics and Research

• Caloric Intake from Fast Food among Adults: United States, 2007-2010 (National Center for Health Statistics)
• Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States, 2009‒2010 (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: The prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based prognostic scores and nutritional...
• Article: Assessing and Improving Childhood Nutrition and Growth Globally.
• Article: CE: Beyond Maternity Nursing: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
• 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

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

Women

• Healthy Eating for Women (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Nutrition Basics (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

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