Nutrition (Print Version)

Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Learning to eat nutritiously is not hard. The key is to

Eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products
Eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and low-fat dairy products
Drink lots of water
Go easy on the salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat and trans fat

Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarines and shortenings.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Key Recommendations(Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/recommendations.htm
MyPyramid.gov: Steps to a Healthier You(Dept. of Agriculture) - http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Nutrition: Tips for Improving Your Health(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/general-nutrition/369.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/food/improve/369.printerview.html

Overviews

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005(Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/
Food Pyramid: An Option for Better Eating(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/healthy-diet/NU00190/METHOD=print
Healthy Eating Pyramid(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/
Nutrition.gov(Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://www.nutrition.gov/
Rules for Healthy Eating(National Center for Farmworker Health) - http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/en-diet.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/sp-diet.htm

Latest News

Whole Grains, Leafy Greens May Lower Diabetes Risk(09/18/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69420.html
Mediterranean Diet Cuts Death from Chronic Diseases(09/12/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69236.html
People Get Their Nutrients on Diet Plans(09/03/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68837.html
Get Smart with Fruits and Veggies!(09/01/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FruitsAndVeggies/
More News on Nutrition http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_n.html#nutrition

Related Issues

20 Ways to Revive Your Healthy-Eating Plan(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/healthy-eating/NU00641/METHOD=print
Bacteria-Eating Virus Approved as Food Additive(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2007/107_virus.html
Deciphering Media Stories on Diet: Nutrition in the News(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/media/
Eating Healthy with Ethnic Food(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/eth_dine.htm
Food Ingredients and Colors(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodic.html
Fruits and Veggies Matter(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
Healthy Breakfast: The Best Way to Begin Your Day(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/food-and-nutrition/NU00197/METHOD=print
Healthy Cooking Techniques(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/healthy-cooking/NU00201/METHOD=print
JAMA Patient Page: Eating Fish: Health Benefits and Risks(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/296/15/1926.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/296/15/1926/DC1/1
Just Enough for You: About Food Portions(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm
Key to Nutrition: A Diversified Portfolio(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health) - http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=4081&lvl=3&lvlID=287
Mediterranean Diet(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644
No Appetite? How to Get Nutrition during Cancer Treatment(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cancer/HQ01134/METHOD=print
Organic and Other Environmentally Friendly Foods(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/organics.html
Portion Distortion! Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/
Shopping List: Basic Ingredients for a Healthy Kitchen(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_3_2X_Shopping_List_Basic_Ingredients_For_A_Healthy_Kitchen.asp
Snacks: How They Fit into Your Weight-Loss Plan(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/healthy-diet/HQ01396/METHOD=print
Where Do Your Favorite Foods Fit?(Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion) - Links to PDF - http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2000/2000DGBrochureFavoriteFoods.pdf
Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/whole-grains/NU00204/METHOD=print

Health Check Tools

Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Calorie_Calculator.asp
Interactive Menu Planner(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/menuplanner/menu.cgi
Make Your Calories Count(Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/hwm/hwmintro.html
Nutrition and Activity Quiz(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/Ped_3_1x_Nutrition_and_Activity_Quiz.asp
What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool(Dept. of Agriculture) - http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=12096

Videos

Bad Fats Brothers(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3055398
Better Fat Sisters(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3055399

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Diet%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Food Additives(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Food+Additives%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Nutrition%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Nutrition+Disorders%22

Research

Food and Nutrition Research Briefs(Dept. of Agriculture) - http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/
Also available in Spanish http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/espanol/np/fnrb/index.html

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Food scoring for better nutrition. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18717026&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Commentary: Lessons learned from the development of Dietary Reference Intakes... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18460436&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Nutrient requirements and fetal development: recommendations for best outcomes. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18684352&tool=MedlinePlus
Nutrition -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=nutrition+physiology[majr:noexp]+OR+nutritional+status[majr]+OR+nutrition+policy[majr]+OR+nutrition+assessment[majr]+OR+nutritional+requirements[majr]+OR+food+habits[majr]+OR+nutritive+value[majr]+OR+food-drug+interactions[majr]+NOT+(dietary+proteins[majr]+OR+carbohydrates[majr]+OR+dietary+fats[majr]+OR+dietary+sodium[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+news[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
Food additives -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(food+additives[majr]+OR+flavoring+agents[majr:noexp])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+news[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Directories

Find a Nutrition Professional(American Dietetic Association) - http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4874_ENU_HTML.htm
Nutrient Lists(Dept. of Agriculture) - Links to PDF - http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=15869
US Nutrition Assistance Programs(Food and Nutrition Information Center) - http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=276&topic_id=1340

Organizations

American Dietetic Association - http://www.eatright.org/
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion - http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
Food and Drug Administration - http://www.fda.gov/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Statistics

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Data and Statistics(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/5ADaySurveillance/

Teenagers

Are Detox Diets Safe?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/detox_diets.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/nutricion/detox_diets_esp.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Breast Feeding - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastfeeding.html
Calcium - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/calcium.html
Carbohydrates - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbohydrates.html
Child Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childnutrition.html
Cholesterol - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cholesterol.html
Dietary Fats - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfats.html
Dietary Fiber - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfiber.html
Dietary Proteins - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryproteins.html
Eating Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eatingdisorders.html
Food Labeling - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodlabeling.html
Food Safety - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodsafety.html
Infant and Toddler Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infantandtoddlernutrition.html
Nutrition for Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutritionforseniors.html
Nutritional Support - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutritionalsupport.html
Obesity - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
Vegetarian Diet - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vegetariandiet.html
Vitamins - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html
Weight Control - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/weightcontrol.html
Food and Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodandnutrition.html
Wellness and Lifestyle - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wellnessandlifestyle.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Nutrition is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Nutrition - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/nutrition.html