The ideal diet to fuel and balance the body's nutritional needs should consist of a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, whole grains, low fat dairy or plant based calcium sources, along with heart healthy fats like those found in coldwater, wild fish, almonds, or extra-virgin olive oil. According to the USDA, an ideal healthy plate or meal should look like this :
1/2 fruits and vegetables
1/4 grains, at least half of the grains should be whole
1/4 lean protein from plant or animal sources
3 cups or servings of nonfat, low fat dairy or plant based calcium sources
***Problems:
*Modern Farming Practices- Today's farming techniques yield large fast-growing plants that may often lack key micronutrients found in more traditionally raised crops
*Aging- as we age, its common for our bodies to have to work harder to digest and absorb key nutrients as a result of insufficient stomach acid or low amounts of beneficial microorganisms in our digestive tracts.
*Frequent Dieting- a reduced-calorie diet often makes it more challenging to get all of the necessary nutrition
*Busy Lives- Balancing priorities can lead to time management challenges that make it much harder to consistently plan, shop for and prepare balanced, full meals. Even well-balanced diets may not include a broad enough range of fruits and vegetables to ensure that we are getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we need.
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