Nutrition: MedlinePlus

Nutrition: MedlinePlus

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. Nutrients includeproteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Healthy eating is not hard. The key is to

• Eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products
• Eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products
• Drink lots of water
• Limit salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat in your diet

Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarines, and shortenings.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• 20 healthy snacks with 100 calories or less
• Eating extra calories when you are sick - adults
• Eating out
• Fast food tips
• Food additives
• Healthy food trends -- beans and legumes
• Healthy food trends -- brussels sprouts
• Healthy food trends -- chia seeds
• Healthy food trends -- flaxseeds
• Healthy food trends -- kale
• 
  

  

Related Topics

• Breastfeeding
• Calcium
• Carbohydrates
• Child Nutrition
• Cholesterol
• Dietary Fats
• Dietary Fiber
• Dietary Proteins
• Diets
• Eating Disorders
• Food Labeling
• Food Safety
• Infant and Newborn Nutrition
• Malnutrition
• Nutrition for Seniors
• Nutritional Support
• Obesity
• Pregnancy and Nutrition
• Vegetarian Diet
• Vitamins
• Weight Control
• Food and Nutrition
• Wellness and Lifestyle

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Nutrition is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Languages

• Arabic (العربية)
• Chinese - Simplified (简体中文)
• Chinese - Traditional (繁體中文)
• Spanish (español)

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine  

• Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods
• Holidays Are Coming! Time to Start Planning for Healthy Holiday Meals

 Disclaimers 

• MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See ourdisclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

• Start Here

  • ChooseMyPlate.gov(Department of Agriculture)
  • Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015(Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture)
  • Nutrition for Everyone(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Overviews

  • Let's Eat for the Health of It(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • MyPlate Food Guide(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Nutrition.gov(Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture)
  • Rules for Healthy Eating(National Center for Farmworker Health) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish

• Latest News

  • Trans Fats May Sap Your Memory(11/18/2014, HealthDay)
  • Home Cooking Helps Keep the Calories Down(11/17/2014, HealthDay)
  • Health Tip: Cutting Back on Salt(11/17/2014, HealthDay)
  • Sulforaphane and Autism Spectrum Disorder(10/14/2014, HealthDay)
  • New Menu Options(10/10/2014, HealthDay)
  • More News on Nutrition

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Assessing Your Diet(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
  • Prealbumin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

• Specific Conditions

  • Add More Vegetables to Your Day: 10 Tips to Help You Eat More Vegetables(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Are Fresh Fruits and Veggies Always Best?(American Heart Association)
  • Build a Healthy Meal: 10 Tips for Healthy Meals(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Eat Seafood Twice a Week: 10 Tips to Help You Eat More Seafood(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Eating Healthy Ethnic Food(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Empty Calories(Department of Agriculture)
  • Focus on Fruits: 10 Tips to Eat More Fruits(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Food Groups(Department of Agriculture)
  • Got Your Dairy Today? 10 Tips to Help You Eat and Drink More Dairy Foods(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Liven Up Your Meals with Vegetables and Fruits(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Make Better Beverage Choices: 10 Tips to Get Started(Department of Agriculture) -PDF
  • Make Half Your Grains Whole: 10 Tips to Help You Eat Whole Grains(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference - Find Nutrient Value of Common Foods by Nutrient(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Nutrition Facts for Cooked Seafood(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Nutrition Facts for Raw Vegetables(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Soy Foods and Health(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Related Issues

  • Coconut Water: Is It What It's Cracked Up to Be?(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • Deciphering Media Stories on Diet: Nutrition in the News(Harvard School of Public Health)
  • Diet Choices to Prevent Cancer(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Eating Out(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less: 10 Tips to Enjoying Your Meal(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Fast Food: Tips for Choosing Healthier Options(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Healthy Cooking Techniques(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • How Do I Change Recipes?(American Heart Association) - PDF
  •  How Many Calories? Look at the Menu!(Food and Drug Administration)
  • Is Local More Nutritious?(Harvard Medical School)
  • Make Celebrations Fun, Healthy, and Active: 10 Tips to Creating Healthy, Active Events(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives and Colors(Food and Drug Administration)
  • Shopping List: Basic Ingredients for a Healthy Kitchen(American Cancer Society)
  • Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Affordable Vegetables and Fruits(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Smart Substitutions for Healthy Cooking(American Heart Association)
  • Unexplained Weight Loss(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • What Are Functional Foods?(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • What's So Super about Superfoods?(American Heart Association)
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• Health Check Tools

  • Daily Food Plan(Department of Agriculture)
  • Food-A-Pedia(Department of Agriculture)
  • How Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Make Your Calories Count(Food and Drug Administration)
  • Search Recipes(Department of Agriculture)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • SuperTracker: My Foods. My Fitness. My Health.(Department of Agriculture)
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• Anatomy/Physiology

  • Digestive System(Nemours Foundation)
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• Financial Issues

  • Eating Better on a Budget: 10 Tips to Help You Stretch Your Food Dollars(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
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• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutrition Disorders(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Nutritional Physiological Phenomena(National Institutes of Health)
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• Research

  • Food and Nutrition Research Briefs(Department of Agriculture)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Water pipes and E-cigarettes: new faces of an ancient enemy.
  • Article: Am I entitled to overtime if I don't get to...
  • Article: Awareness of factors affecting osteoporosis obtained from a survey on...
  • Nutrition -- see more articles
  • Food additives -- see more articles
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• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Dictionary of Nutrition(American Heart Association)
  • Vegetarian Glossary of Terms(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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• Directories

  • Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • US Nutrition Assistance Programs(Food and Nutrition Information Center)
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• Organizations

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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• Statistics

  • Caloric Intake from Fast Food among Adults: United States, 2007-2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
  • Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States, 2009‒2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
  • Nutrition and You: Trends 2011(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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• Men

  • Healthy Eating for Men(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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• Women

  • Healthy Eating for Women(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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• Patient Handouts

  • Eating extra calories when you are sick - adults
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Eating out
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Fast food tips
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Healthy grocery shopping
  • Also available in Spanish
  • How to read food labels
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Key to Choosing Healthful Foods: Using the Nutrition Facts on the Food Label(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Managing your weight with healthy eating
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Nutrition Facts for Cooked Seafood(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Nutrition Facts for Raw Vegetables(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Simple, heart-smart substitutions
  • Snacks for adults
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top