5 Benefits of Healthy Diets A healthful diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables of many colors, whole grains and starches, good fats, and lean proteins. Eating healthfully also means avoiding foods with high amounts of added salt and sugar. In this article, we look at the top 5 benefits of a healthful diet, as well as the evidence behind them. 1. Weight loss There are many benefits to eating healthfully. Losing weight can help to reduce the risk of chronic conditions. If a person is overweight or obese, they have a higher risk of developing several conditions, including: heart disease non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus poor bone density some cancers Whole vegetables and fruits are lower in calories than most processed foods. A person looking to lose weight should reduce their calorie intake to no more than what they require each day. Determining an individual's calorie requirements is easy using dietary guidelines published by the United S...
Fresh food is better for you. In addition to tasting better, fresh food is also better for the body, as it has more nutritional value. Fresh produce retains all of its vitamins, minerals and enzymes, making it much better to eat than produce that has lost most of its nutritional value through being frozen. A fresh meal generally supplies more . . . Nutrients. Freezing has been shown to decrease the nutrient value of a meal. Frozen meals also generally provide small quantities of vegetables and fruits. Because vegetables and fruits provide many of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to our health, we want to guarantee we consume enough of them. Hydration. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a higher water content and therefore offer natural hydration that is important for cellular health