According to nutrition experts, the 3 keys to healthy eating are balance, variety, and moderation. In other words, eat a lot of different foods without too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. Here are some tips from the American Dietetic Association and International Food Information Council Foundation to help you do that:

• Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
  Your body needs more than 40 different nutrients. To get them, eat complex carbohydrates and starches like bread and other whole-grain products; fruits and vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish, and other protein foods. Use the Food Guide Pyramid as a guide.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
  The weight that's right for you depends on a lot of things - your age, height, and sex as well as heredity. Being overweight increases your risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities, and other health problems.
• Eat moderate portions.
  It's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy if you eat smaller portions. For example, Americans routinely eat too much protein - the recommended serving of meat is 3 - 4 oz - that's about the size of a deck of cards.
• Eat regular meals.
  Skipping meals leads to overeating.
• Reduce - don't eliminate - certain foods.
  If your favorite foods are high in fat or sugar, don’t try to deny yourself altogether; instead, moderate how much of these you eat and how often you eat them.
• Balance your food choices over time.
  If you're eating a food high in fat or sugar, complement it with others than are low in those ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next day. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
• Know your pitfalls.
  Write down everything you eat for 3 days to identify what's wrong with your eating habits. Do you add a lot of butter, cream sauces, salad dressings? It may become easily clear where you need to make a change.
• Make changes gradually.
  Trying to change too much, too fast will lessen your chances of success. Start with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong healthy eating habits.

In general, remember that foods are not "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods like apple pie or potato chips; just eat them in moderation and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that your body needs for good health.

Related information Weight management - Food choices