Nutrition is the taking in and use of food and other nourishing material by the body. Nutrition is a 3-part process.

• First, food or drink is consumed.
• Second, the body breaks down the food or drink into nutrients.
• Third, the nutrients travel through the bloodstream to different parts of the body where they are used as "fuel" and for many other purposes.

To give the body proper nutrition, a person has to eat and drink enough of the foods that contain key nutrients.[i]

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Why do it?

Good nutrition is vital to good health, disease prevention, and essential for healthy growth and development of children and adolescents.  Good nutrition can lead to:

• Decreased risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers
• Decreased risk of overweight and obesity
• Decreased risk of micronutrient deficiencies

One component of good nutrition is eating fruits and vegetables.

• Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
• Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
• Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

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Getting the most nutrition out of your calories

There is a right number of calories for you to eat each day.  This number depends on your age, activity level, and whether you are trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight. You could use up the entire amount on a few high-calorie foods, but chances are, you won’t get the full range of vitamins and nutrients your body needs to be healthy.

Choose the most nutritionally dense (lots of great nutrients per calories) foods you can from each food group each day – those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients, but lower in calories.  Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products more often[ii].

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Nutrition Facts Label

The Nutrition Facts label (often referred to as the food label) provides information about the nutrients in food and can be a useful tool in eating a balanced diet.

For information on how to read the Nutrition Facts Label on all foods, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Portion size

A portion can be thought of as the amount of a specific food you choose to eat for dinner, snack, or other eating occasion. Portions can be bigger or smaller than the recommended food servings.

A serving is a unit of measure used to describe the amount of food recommended from each food group.  It is the amount of food listed on the Nutrition Facts label on packaged food or the amount of food recommended in the Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

For example, 6-11 servings of whole grains are recommended daily. A recommended serving of whole grains would be 1 slice of bread or 1/2 cup of rice or pasta. People often confuse the recommendation to mean 6 to 11 portions with no regard to size. It is not 6 to 11 portions where one portion could mean a large bowl of pasta rather than ½ cup. Click here for more information on portion size from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute[iii]. 

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For more information

For more information on nutrition, tips for choosing nutritious foods, and additional resources, visit:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition information

Healthy Eating Tips: Quick tips for nutrition from CDC.

Food Guide Pyramid: Helps you determine foods and portions that are right for you.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Provides nutrition information and guidelines to promote health and prevent chronic disease.

Department of Agriculture (USDA): Dietary guidance on how to improve nutrition. Includes links for kids, adults, and teachers.
 

American Heart Association: Offers diet and nutrition information, recipes, lifestyle information and more.

5 A Day Websites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tips on how to include more fruits and vegetables and improve health.

Produce for Better Health: Recipes, tips, and resources on how to incorporate color into your diet.

Dole 5 A Day: Information for children and schools about healthy eating.

National Cancer Institute: Information for men, women and for African Americans.

Food and Nutrition Information Center: Registered dietitians provide information on food and nutrition, including links to reliable information and multiple resources on overweight and obesity.