Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber and vitamins to sustain a healthy body. But what are good carb, protein, and fat choices for developing your own healthy eating plan?

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates – food composed of some combination of starches, sugar and fiber - provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity by breaking down into glucose, a type of sugar our cells use as a universal energy source.

• Bad carbs are foods that have been “stripped” or processed in order to make cooking fast and easy, like white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. They digest so quickly that they cause dramatic elevations in blood sugar, which can lead to weight gain.
• Good carbs can’t be digested as easily. This keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels from rising and falling too quickly, helping you get full quicker and feel fuller longer. Good sources of carbs include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, which also offer lots of additional health benefits, including heart disease and cancer prevention.
Fiber
Dietary fiber is found in plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) and is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps support a healthy diet by:
• Helping you feel fuller faster and longer, which can help prevent overeating.
• Keeping blood sugar levels even, by slowing digestion and absorption so that glucose (sugar) enters the bloodstream slowly and steadily.
• Maintaining a healthy colon - the simple organic acids produced when fiber is broken down in the digestive process helps to nourish the lining of the colon.
The two types of fiber are soluble and insoluble:
• Soluble fiber can dissolve in water and can also help to lower blood fats and maintain blood sugar. Primary sources are beans, fruit and oat products.
• Insoluble fiber cannot dissolve in water, so it passes directly through the digestive system. It’s found in whole grain products and vegetables.

A healthy diet should contain approximately 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day, but most of us only get about half of that amount.
Protein

During digestion, protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the basic building blocks our bodies use to create its own protein.  Our bodies need protein to maintain our cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diets can result in slow growth, reduced muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein gives us the energy to get up and go –and keep going.

 A complete protein source is one that provides all of the essential amino acids. Examples are animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese.
 An incomplete protein source is one that is low in one or more of the essential amino acids.
 Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. For example, rice and dry beans. Similarly, dry beans each are incomplete proteins, but together, these two foods can provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids your body needs.
 Do complementary proteins need to be eating in the same meal?  Research shows that your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.

Fats: Avoid the Bad Fats and Choose the Good Fats

It’s the type of fat that matters in addition to how much you consume.
• Saturated fats, primarily found in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products, raise the low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol that increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Substitute lean meats, skinless poultry, and nonfat or low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish and nuts Other saturated fat sources include vegetable oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and foods made with these oils.
• Trans fat raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol that increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), as well as lowering HDL, or good cholesterol. Trans fats are created by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen gas, a process called hydrogenation. Primary sources of trans fat are vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
• Monounsaturated fats - People following traditional Mediterranean diets, which are very high in foods containing monounsaturated fats like olive oil, tend to have lower risk of cardiovascular disease, Primary sources are plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. Other good sources are avocados; nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans; and seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
• Polyunsaturated fats – These includes the Omega-3 group of fatty acids which your body can’t make and are found in very few foods – primarily cold water fatty fish and fish oils. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia. See below for more on Omega-3. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.
How much fat is too much? It depends on your lifestyle, your weight, your age and most importantly the state of your health. The USDA recommends that the average individual:
• Keep total fat intake to 20-35% of calories
• Limit saturated fats to less than 10% of your calories (200 calories for a 2000 calorie diet)
• Limit trans fats to 1% of calories (2 grams per day for a 2000 calorie diet)
• Limit cholesterol to 300 mg per day, less if you have diabetes.   

Managing all fats in your diet

Dietary cholesterol is also is a very important form of fat that has its own set of considerations. See Healthy Fats to learn more on managing fats your diet.