Contents of a healthy diet consist of nutrients that are essential to our existence. Some nutrients our bodies can process and others need to be ingested from an external source such as food.  The daily allowances are recommended by health representatives pertaining to our food consumption to ensure that our bodies function properly.

A well balanced diet suggests that the contents of a healthy diet be regulated so that we receive the essential requirements needed to maintain and improve our health.  A helathy diet is about moderation, modifying your food choices to ensure you receive the recommended daily allowances needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

What are the essential contents to a healthy diet?   There are three components described as essentials in a healthy diet:

Macronutrients

These are substances our bodies require in large quantities to operate properly. These substances are fats, proteins and carbohydrates and are used to enrich our body, so that it can repair, rebuild or replace damaged tissues.  Fats are butters, oils and fruits like avocados.  Foods that fall into the category for protein are meats, dairy and fish.  For carbs, consider potatoes, whole grain breads and pastas as well as fruits and vegetables.

Calories

Calories from our food, provide our bodies with the fuel to regulate our body processes, they also convert these nutrients into energy.  In nutritional terms, calories are used to define the amount needed to process the nutrients we ingest into energy. 

Micronutrients

These nutrients are required in small quantities they help to arrange the physiological functions of our bodies; respiration, coordination, circulation and reproduction. For humans these micronutrients are minerals that our bodies do not produce on its own.  We find these nutrients in our foods; chromium, copper, iodine, manganese and zinc.

The World Health Organization recommends:

Limiting our intake of fats, switching from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and eliminating trans-fatty acids.  Increasing our consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts and limiting our intake of sugar.

The American Heart Association recommends:

A diet with large quantities of fruits, vegetables along with some healthful fatty acids which are the fuels used by our heart and skeletal muscles. These essential fatty acids are compounds of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid.  Foods like salmon, shrimp, soy beans, walnuts and tofu fit this category.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends:

Reducing our consumption of red meats and finding an alternative source for proteins through dairy, seafood or plant products such as tofu or taro. They also suggest limiting our intake of sodium with an increase in our consumption of nuts, whole grains, fish, fruits and vegetables.

Sources: World Health Organization, American Heart Association, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Photo: