Good nutrition is the key to a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet includes eating a variety of foods from the basic food groups: protein, such as meat, eggs, and legumes; dairy; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as breads and pasta; and fats and sweets. As simple as it sounds, it's not always easy to get the nutrition you need. You may eat more of your favorite foods from only one food group, and as a result, avoid others. Or perhaps you opt for convenience over quality when you are hungry.
A healthy diet requires some planning and purpose and an effort to include a variety of foods in your meals. If you look closely at how you eat, you might find you aren't getting enough nutrients because you don't get the recommended number of servings from each food group. Although there is some debate about the best formula for a healthy diet, most experts agree that the most important elements of healthful eating are:
Resources
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Eat Well Guide
Free Dieting
Healthy Options Buffalo
Local Harvest
Massachusetts Avenue Project and Growing Green
Medline Plus
Nutrition.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Vegetarian Resource Group
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Some content on this page is saved in PDF format. To view these files, download Adobe Acrobat Reader free. If you are having trouble reading a document, request an accessible copy of the PDF or Word Document.