Understand What You Eat.
What Is Ultra-Processed Food? Ultra-processed foods are often discussed when people talk about modern diets and food choices. Packaged snacks, some sweetened beverages, instant products, processed meat products, and some ready-to-eat meals can fall into an ultra-processed food category. But what exactly does “ultra-processed” mean? Ultra-processed food is a term used by certain food classification … Read more
What Is Processed Food? Processed foods are part of everyday eating. Bread, yogurt, canned beans, frozen vegetables, cheese, canned fish, and many packaged foods are examples of foods that may be processed in some way. But what exactly does “processed food” mean? Food processing refers to changes made to food between harvesting, production, preparation, and … Read more
What Is Whole Grain? Whole grains are common foods found in many cuisines around the world. Oats, brown rice, barley, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and popcorn are examples of foods that can contain whole grains. But what exactly makes a grain a whole grain? A whole grain contains the main parts of the … Read more
What Is Whole Food? The term “whole food” is often used when talking about food and healthy eating. Fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, and some fresh meats are examples of foods that can fit into a whole-food eating pattern. But what exactly is a whole food? There is no single … Read more
What Is Fermented Food? Fermented foods are found in many cuisines around the world. Yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and some types of pickles are examples of foods that may be made through fermentation. But what exactly does fermentation mean? Fermentation is a process in which microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast transform components of … Read more
How to Eat Healthy on a Budget Eating healthy does not have to mean buying expensive foods. Many simple and affordable foods can be part of a balanced eating pattern. The bigger challenge is often knowing what to buy, how much to buy, and how to use food before it goes to waste. A practical … Read more
How to Plan Healthy Meals for the Week Planning your meals for the week can make healthy eating easier. Instead of deciding what to eat when you are already hungry, you can prepare a simple plan ahead of time. Meal planning does not mean cooking seven different meals or following a strict schedule. It can … Read more
How to Eat More Fruit Fruit can be an easy addition to a healthy eating pattern. It can be eaten on its own, added to breakfast, used as a snack, or included in meals. Yet many people still find it difficult to eat fruit regularly. Sometimes the problem is not knowing that fruit is useful. … Read more
How to Eat More Vegetables Many people know that vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. The difficult part is actually eating enough of them. You may buy vegetables with good intentions, only to find them still sitting in the refrigerator several days later. The good news is that eating more vegetables does … Read more
How to Eat Healthy When You Are Busy Eating healthy can feel difficult when you have a busy schedule. Between work, commuting, family responsibilities, and other daily tasks, cooking a complete meal from scratch may not always be realistic. The good news is that healthy eating does not have to require complicated recipes or hours … Read more
How to Choose Frozen Foods Frozen foods can make eating well much easier. They are convenient, have a long storage life, and can help you keep foods available when fresh ingredients are not practical. The frozen food section includes everything from: But not all frozen foods have the same nutritional value. The key is to … Read more
How to Choose Canned Foods Canned foods are often overlooked when people talk about healthy eating. But canned foods can be practical, affordable, and useful for keeping certain foods available for longer. You can find canned versions of: The important thing is not whether a food comes in a can. It is what is inside … Read more
How to Choose Yogurt Walking through the yogurt section of a supermarket can be surprisingly confusing. You may see: The healthiest-looking package is not always the best choice for everyone. A better approach is to look beyond the front of the package and compare the ingredients, nutrition information, serving size, and type of yogurt. What … Read more
How to Choose Cooking Oil Choosing a cooking oil can be confusing because supermarkets offer many options. You may see: The best choice depends on how you plan to use the oil, the flavor you want, your overall diet, and how you store it. There is no single cooking oil that is best for every … Read more
How to Choose Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Choosing fresh fruits and vegetables does not have to be complicated. You do not need to inspect every piece of produce like a professional chef. A few simple checks can help you choose produce that is fresh, suitable for your meal, and likely to keep well at home. … Read more
What Are Antioxidants? Antioxidants are compounds that help protect cells from oxidative damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals and other reactive compounds. The body naturally produces reactive molecules during normal metabolism. Environmental factors can also contribute to oxidative stress. Antioxidants can come from both the body and the foods we eat. Many … Read more
What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fats that play important roles in normal body function. They are found naturally in foods such as: Three omega-3 fatty acids are commonly discussed in nutrition: Although they belong to the same family, they are not identical and are found in different … Read more
What Is Magnesium? Magnesium is an essential mineral that the body needs for many normal functions. It is involved in: Magnesium occurs naturally in many foods, including nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and some vegetables. Because magnesium participates in hundreds of biochemical reactions, it is an important part of a balanced diet. Why Does the … Read more
What Is Cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body needs to perform several important functions. It is used to help make: The body can make cholesterol on its own, mainly in the liver, and cholesterol is also found in some animal-based foods. Although cholesterol is necessary for normal body function, having too much … Read more
What Is Folate? Folate is a B vitamin that helps the body make DNA and other genetic material and supports normal cell division. It is naturally found in many foods, particularly leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, and some fruits. Folate is especially important during periods of rapid cell growth, including pregnancy. The term folate generally … Read more
What Are Legumes? Legumes are a group of plants that produce seeds inside pods. Common legumes include: Legumes are an important part of many traditional diets around the world. They can provide protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, depending on the specific food. Because legumes can be used in so many different meals, … Read more
What Is Vitamin E? Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble compounds that act primarily as antioxidants in the body. It helps protect cells from oxidative damage and contributes to normal immune function. Vitamin E is naturally found in a variety of foods, particularly nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and some vegetables. Rather than focusing on … Read more
What Is Vitamin A? Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in normal vision, immune function, growth, and the maintenance of healthy skin and other body tissues. Vitamin A can come from both animal foods and plant foods. Some foods contain preformed vitamin A, while others contain carotenoids that the body … Read more
What Is Vitamin B12? Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body make red blood cells, maintain normal nerve function, and produce DNA. It is naturally found mainly in animal-derived foods, although some plant-based foods are fortified with vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is therefore an especially useful nutrient to understand when comparing different … Read more
What Is Vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and supports normal bone health. It also plays a role in normal muscle function and immune function. Unlike many vitamins, vitamin D can be produced by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight. It can also come from … Read more
What Is a Food Allergy? A food allergy is an immune system reaction to a particular food or substance in food. For someone with a food allergy, even a small amount of a specific food may cause an immune reaction. Food allergies are different from food intolerances. An allergy involves the immune system, while an … Read more
What Is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is an essential vitamin found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. It plays several important roles in the body, including supporting normal immune function, helping protect cells from oxidative stress, and contributing to normal collagen formation. Vitamin C is also important because it can help the body absorb non-heme … Read more
What Is Iron? Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs for several important functions. One of its best-known roles is helping the body make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. Iron is also involved in other normal cellular processes. The body … Read more
What Is Calcium? Calcium is an essential mineral that the body needs for several important functions. It is best known for its role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, but calcium is also involved in normal muscle function, nerve signaling, and other processes in the body. Calcium can be found naturally in a variety of … Read more
What Is Potassium? Potassium is an essential mineral found naturally in many foods. The body uses potassium for several important functions, including normal muscle function, nerve signaling, and maintaining fluid balance. Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, dairy products, and some fish. Because potassium occurs naturally in … Read more
What Is Sodium? Sodium is a mineral that the body needs to function normally. It is involved in several important processes, including: Sodium is naturally present in some foods, but it is also commonly added to foods during cooking or processing. One of the most familiar sources of sodium is table salt. However, sodium and … Read more
What Is a Balanced Diet? A balanced diet is an eating pattern that provides a variety of foods and nutrients in amounts that support the body’s needs. It doesn’t mean that every meal has to be perfect. It also doesn’t mean that you need to avoid particular foods completely. Instead, balanced eating is about looking … Read more
What Are Calories? Calories are a way of measuring energy. When you look at a food label, you may see a number such as: 150 Calories That number tells you how much energy the food provides based on the stated serving size. Calories are found in foods and drinks because they contain nutrients that provide … Read more
What Does “Whole Grain” Mean? You may have seen phrases such as “whole grain,” “made with whole grains,” or “100% whole grain” on bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, and other packaged foods. These phrases can provide useful information about the grain ingredients in a food. However, they don’t always mean exactly the same thing. A product … Read more
What Does “High Fiber” Mean? You may have seen the words “high fiber”, “rich in fiber”, or “good source of fiber” on food packaging. These claims are designed to tell you something about the amount of fiber a food provides. But seeing “high fiber” on the front of a package doesn’t tell you everything about … Read more
What Does “High Protein” Mean? Walk through a supermarket and you may see “high protein” on everything from yogurt and cereal to snack bars, drinks, and ready-to-eat meals. The phrase can make a product immediately sound more nutritious. But what does “high protein” actually tell you? It tells you something about the amount of protein … Read more
What Are Added Sugars? Sugar is found in many foods. Some foods naturally contain sugar. For example, fruit contains naturally occurring sugars, while milk contains a naturally occurring sugar called lactose. Other foods contain sugars that are added during processing or preparation. These are called added sugars. Added sugars can be found in many foods … Read more
What Is a Serving Size? When you look at a Nutrition Facts label, one of the first things you will see is the serving size. It may say: The numbers underneath the serving size are generally based on that stated amount. This makes serving size one of the most important parts of a nutrition label … Read more
What Does “Processed Food” Mean? The word processed can make a food sound less healthy than it really is. But almost all food that we eat has been changed in some way before it reaches our plate. Washing vegetables, freezing fruit, cooking rice, grinding wheat into flour, pasteurizing milk, and making yogurt are all forms … Read more
Why Nutrition Labels Matter Walking through a supermarket can mean choosing between dozens of similar products. Two cereals may look almost identical. Two yogurts may have similar packaging. Two breads may both describe themselves as “whole grain.” The front of a package can give you useful information, but it doesn’t always tell you the full … Read more
What Is Dietary Fat? Dietary fat is one of the three major macronutrients found in food, alongside protein and carbohydrates. Fat is found naturally in many foods, including nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, fish, eggs, dairy products, and meat. It is also used as an ingredient in many foods. Despite its reputation, dietary fat is not … Read more
What Are Carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are one of the three main macronutrients found in food, alongside protein and fat. They are found naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, milk, and some dairy products. Carbohydrates are often discussed as if they were one type of food. But carbohydrates are actually a broad group … Read more
What Is Fiber? Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found naturally in plant foods that the human body does not fully digest. It is found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. But “not fully digested” does not mean fiber is unimportant. Different types of fiber can interact with … Read more
What Is Protein? Protein is one of the three major macronutrients found in food, alongside carbohydrates and fat. It is found in many foods, including eggs, fish, meat, dairy products, beans, lentils, soy foods, nuts, seeds, and grains. But protein is more than a number on a nutrition label. To understand protein properly, it helps … Read more