What Foods and Nutrients to Increase

Healthy Ways

Many Americans consume less than ideal amounts of certain nutrients needed for a healthy diet. To make sure you’re getting proper nutrition to feel your best, the Guidelines recommend increasing your intake of:

Vegetables and fruit. Make sure to eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas, and fruits.

Whole grains. Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. You can increase your whole-grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains, like switching out white bread for whole-grain bread.

Fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Drink or eat fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages.

Protein variety. Choose a variety of proteins, such as seafood, lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

Seafood. Increase the amount and variety of seafood you eat by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry.

Foods high in nutrients. Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which are nutrients of concern in American diets. Foods high in these nutrients are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and milk and milk products.