What are the principles of healthy eating for patients?

From the Guidelines

To maintain a healthy diet, patients should focus on eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods in appropriate portions while limiting processed and high-calorie foods, with an emphasis on nonstarchy vegetables, whole foods, and minimizing added sugars and refined grains, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1. The key principles of healthy eating include:

• Emphasizing nonstarchy vegetables, such as dark leafy greens, broccoli, and bell peppers
• Minimizing added sugars and refined grains, such as sugary drinks, candy, and white bread
• Choosing whole foods over highly processed foods, such as whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats
• Considering individualized needs and health goals, including referral to a registered dietitian or nutritionist for personalized meal planning 1
• Drinking plenty of water and limiting sodium intake, with a goal of less than 2,300 mg per day 1
• Limiting saturated and trans fats, with a goal of less than 10% of daily calories 1
• Emphasizing plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, over animal-based foods 1 Some examples of healthy eating patterns that have shown positive results in research include:
• Mediterranean-style eating patterns, which emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats 1
• Low-carbohydrate eating patterns, which emphasize protein-rich foods and healthy fats 1
• Vegetarian or plant-based eating patterns, which emphasize plant-based foods and minimize animal products 1 It's essential to note that individualized meal planning should focus on personal preferences, needs, and goals, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach 1. By following these principles and considering individualized needs, patients can maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and promote overall well-being.

From the Research

Principles of Healthy Eating

The principles of healthy eating for patients can be summarized as follows:

• A healthful diet should include a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods that are free of additives and, if possible, grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other potentially toxic agricultural chemicals 2
• The diet should include liberal amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes 2, 3
• Animal foods such as eggs, fish, chicken, beef, and dairy products can be healthfully consumed in moderation 2
• A plant-based diet can be a healthy option, but it requires careful planning to avoid nutritional deficiencies 2, 4
• The total diet or overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of healthy eating, rather than any one food or meal 5

Key Dietary Patterns

Some key dietary patterns that have been shown to promote health and prevent disease include:

• The Mediterranean diet 3
• The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet 3, 5
• The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet 3
• A whole foods plant-based diet 4

Fundamentals of a Healthy and Sustainable Diet

The fundamentals of a healthy and sustainable diet can be summarized as follows:

• Variety: to help achieve a nutritionally adequate diet and help protect the biodiversity of food systems 6
• Balance: to help reduce risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases and excessive use of finite environmental resources and production of greenhouse gas emissions 6
• Moderation: to help achieve a healthy body weight and avoid wasting finite environmental resources used in providing food surplus to nutritional requirements 6