The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), added sugars, and alcohol.

-Reprinted from www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html

These recommendations are applied to individuals over the age of 2 and do not take into account special dietary needs of people with specific health conditions. Check with your doctor. For more specific details, please consult the full text of the Dietary Guidelines for 2005 at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/.

Remember, the two most important issues to consider when selecting your dietary intake are:

• Getting the right balance and amount of nutrients
• Balancing your calorie intake with your calorie expenditure

Over 60% of adults in the United States are overweight. To lose weight, most of these individuals will have to increase their exercise and decrease their calorie intake, while maintaining the healthy diet described above.

Many Americans wonder if they should take a vitamin or nutrient supplement. Benefits are controversial but many experts agree that a good multivitamin taken once daily is be a reasonable approach. In addition, nutritional supplements like calcium may be recommended for certain individuals. People over 50 may benefit from vitamin B₁₂ supplementation. Women who may become pregnant should eat foods high in iron content. Vitamin C-rich foods enhance iron absorption. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should consume adequate folic acid (Prenatal and Pregnancy). Many individuals, including older adults, those with dark skin, and people with limited sunlight exposure may need extra vitamin D. Check with your doctor.

The safety of the nation's food supply is another ongoing concern in health maintenance. Some basic sanitary precautions will prevent much foodborne illness. These include keeping kitchen surfaces extremely clean, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consumption, consuming pasteurized products, cooking foods thoroughly, and thawing foods safely.