With all the media noise, advice from well intentioned friends, and family input it’s hard to remember what a balanced diet really is. Carbs, fat, protein, water, vitamins, minerals- on my- there is a lot to keep track of. Getting back to basics means relearning that food is fuel and can taste great without added fats, salts and empty calories. 

At the most basic level, a calorie is a unit of energy. We consume calories from the foods we eat. Calories can come from four source, carbohydrates, fat, protein and alcohol. Excluding alcohol we need to be sure to consume enough of each macronutrient: carbohydrates, fat, protein to stay healthy. For most Americans consuming enough isn’t the problem, it’s that we consume too many calories often from heart-unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrate sources. Foods that are high in unhealthful fats and unrefined carbohydrates do not provide much in the way of real nutrition; these foods don’t contain fiber, vitamins and minerals leading to a significant percentage of the population being overweight but undernourished. This means that despite what the scale says, many people are lacking in essential nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins and magnesium.

Instead of popping an incomplete multivitamin to fill these nutritional gaps, pop a few cherry tomatoes, carrots, spinach and grapes. In addition to the vitamins, minerals and fiber in whole foods you’ll also be getting a dose of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are the chemicals made by plants; they cannot be classified as vitamins and minerals but new research is showing that phytonutrients are just as important for overall health.