Diet and Nutrition

Diet and Nutrition
What are diet and nutrition?
A person’s diet is made up of the food they eat. Nutrition is the way that the food people eat nourishes their bodies.
Good nutrition means your body is getting all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to work at its best level. Eating a healthy diet is your main way to get good nutrition.
Most people know that a balance of good nutrition and physical activity can help them reach and maintain a healthy weight. But the benefits of good nutrition go beyond weight. Good nutrition can also:
Improve cardiovascular and other body system functions, mental well-being, school/cognitive performance, and wound healing or recovery from illness or injury
Reduce the risk for diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis
Increase energy and the body’s ability to fight off illness
Does everyone need the same things for good nutrition or a healthy diet?
No—A number of factors impact a person’s nutritional and dietary needs.
Different age groups have different nutritional needs, and people’s diets should meet those specific needs. For example, an infant needs a different diet and nutrition than a teenager. Likewise, the nutritional needs and diet of a pregnant woman are different than those of an elderly man.
In addition, factors such as a person’s height and current weight, current health status, and activity level also affect what kinds of nutrients they need and how much they need.
What are some tips for healthy eating?
Some general tips for healthy eating include:
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables – Eat fruit that is fresh, frozen, canned, or dried rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. Eat dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and beans and peas.
Get your calcium-rich foods. Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk, or other dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese. You can also try dark green, leafy vegetables, lactose-free milk products, and calcium-fortified foods and beverages for your calcium needs.
Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.
Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. And vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. Saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol tend to raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease.
How do I know if I’m eating a healthy diet?
In general, a healthy diet—one that gives your body balanced nutrition—includes these actions:
Make smart choices from every food group
Find your balance between food and physical activity
Get the most nutrition out of your calories
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans—a report published every five years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—explains how you can accomplish these actions. The report recommends a general diet that can help lead to good health and reduce risk for diseases for people two years and older.
There are a number of other resources that you can use to set up a healthy eating plan specific to your needs:

The Make your calories count Web site is an interactive site that explains how to use the information in Nutrition Facts labels on foods to make food choices that provide balanced nutrition.

If you are concerned about your own or your family’s nutritional needs, you can also talk to your health care provider. He or she can make suggestions based on your family history and current health status.
How is physical activity related to diet and nutrition?
Another important part of good nutrition is creating a balance between the food you eat (ENERGY IN) and physical activity (ENERGY OUT).
For ENERGY IN, choose foods and amounts of foods that will help you and your family maintain a healthy weight and provide the nutrients they need while keeping their calories under control.
For ENERGY OUT, get moving! Adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of activity a day for their health.
Combine healthy eating with a balance between food and physical activity to improve your overall health.
How is obesity related to nutrition and diet?
Good nutrition requires a balance of food, vitamins, and minerals (from eating a healthy diet) and physical activity. Overweight and obesity can result if things get out of balance—such as eating too much food, not getting enough physical activity, or having too much of one or more nutrients in the diet.
The United States is facing a very serious public health crisis of overweight and obesity. Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese, a figure that has more than doubled over the last 30 years. Children are getting heavier as well. The percentage of children and teens that are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Today, about 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are overweight.
Health risks associated with being overweight or obese include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, and arthritis, among other risks. Good nutrition—including making smart choices from every food group and getting the most nutrition out of your calories—is a critical step in helping control your weight and preventing the health risks that come from being overweight or obese.
For more information, see the obesity health topic.
What are some education programs to help people learn about diet and nutrition?
The NICHD and other federal agencies work to help people improve their health—diet, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle play important roles. The NICHD is involved in health education programs that can help people learn about diet and nutrition:
Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! is an interactive after-school education program for young people ages 11 to 13. It is designed to help teach them about the complex media world around them, and how it can affect their health—especially in the areas of nutrition and physical activity.
Media-Smart Youth is not a weight loss program, but rather is a health promotion program. It helps young people become critical, creative thinkers to help them make smart and positive choices about nutrition and physical activity.
Milk Matters is an information campaign that educates families about the importance of getting enough calcium, especially for tweens and teens ages 11 to 15, a time of critical bone growth. Although the consequences of low calcium consumption may not be visible in childhood, the NICHD recognizes lack of calcium intake as a serious and growing threat to the health of young people later in life.
WE CAN! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) is a national education program to help prevent overweight and obesity among youth ages 8 to 13. WE CAN! offers parents and families tips and fun activities to encourage healthy eating, increase physical activity, and reduce sedentary or screen time. It also offers community groups and health professionals exciting resources to implement programs and fun activities for parents and youth in communities around the country.