Most health experts recommend that you eat a balanced, healthy diet to maintain or to lose weight. But exactly what is a healthy diet?
It should include:
Protein (found in fish, meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, nuts, and beans)
Fat (found in animal and dairy products, nuts, and oils)
Carbohydrates (found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and other legumes)
Vitamins (such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K)
Minerals (such as calcium, potassium, and iron)
Water (both in what you drink, and what's naturally in foods)
Dieting or not, everyone needs a mix of those nutrients, ideally from foods. A good general rule is to use MyPlate, which makes it easy to envision just how much of each food type to include in your meal.
