Making Good Health Choices: Introduction

You learned about reading food labels already. That is only one part to making sure you make healthy food choices. The Choose My Plate nutritional guidelines you have just learned about is planned so that your body gets the nutrients it needs to maintain health. The last key are nutrients. Nutrients are those substances that the body needs to function properly. In order for the body to sustain fitness, to grow, to produce energy, and to regulate the body's functions, it must take in the substances required to successfully sustain these activities. There are six essential nutrients or nutrient groups that must come from foods. These essential nutrients are divided into carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water and are required for a healthy diet.