Key Principles: Healthy Eating

 

A principle is a "fundamental truth that serves as a foundation for a behavior" (1). Three key eating principles for establishing healthy eating patterns:

1. Eating patterns include all the different foods and drinks you consume. These foods should help you meet your macro and micro nutrients while limiting added sugar, salt, and saturated/trans fat. Food is not eaten in isolation. Your nutrition strategy will be successful if you can develop patterns of eating healthy foods and drinks and limit dangerous amounts of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat over long periods of time.
2. The majority of nutrients should come from food. Vitamins can be used to meet recommended abouts for nutrients that may otherwise be lacking in your diet.
3. Your plan should be flexible. It should fit your schedule, budget, and taste preferences. Canned, dried, fresh, or frozen foods can all be used as part of a healthy diet to establish correct eating patterns.

Key Elements: Healthy Eating

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy diet is one that highlights (2):

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products
• Meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
• Limited saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and added sugars

and limits:

• Saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium
• ≤10% of daily calories from added sugars
• ≤10% of daily calories from saturated fats
• ≤2,300 mg sodium per day
• Alcoholic drinks (1 drink for women, 2 drinks for men daily)
  

The most recent copy of Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 lists the following core elements to follow for healthy eating (2):

1. Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan. A balanced diet is more than just what you eat or drink any single day. We are creatures of habit, and our eating habits add up over longer periods of time. We need good eating patterns for longevity to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of developing disease.
2. Focus on variety, density, and amount. Eat foods from all major food groups in recommended amounts.
3. Limit calories from saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium. Cut back on foods that are high in SF, added sugar, and sodium (salt).
4. Shift to healthier food and drink choices.This is a key step. Instead of completely removing a habit, we need to replace bad food and drink choices with good ones. We’re going to be covering how to do this in depth, but it’s important to remember that the best diet for yourself is one that you enjoy, is easy for you to follow, and replaces bad food and drink choices with good food and drink choices.
5. Support healthy eating for all. It’s far easier to follow a healthy eating pattern when you have support from friends, family, and peers. Share your goals and ambitions. We all play a part in establishing healthy eating patterns. 

SOURCES
1. Stevenson, A. (Ed.). (2010). Oxford dictionary of English. Oxford University Press, USA.
2. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. (2015). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2015-2020. Government Printing Office.