What is a good nutrition

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Good nutrition means eating enough food and the right kind of food for the body to grow, be healthy, and fight off disease.

In much of the world, most people eat one main low-cost food with almost every meal. Depending on the region, this may be rice, maize, millet, wheat, cassava, potato, breadfruit, or plantain. This main food usually provides most of the body’s daily food needs.

By itself, however, the main food is not enough to keep a person healthy. Other ‘helper’ foods are needed to provide protein (which helps build the body), vitamins and minerals (which help protect and repair the body), and fats and sugar (which give energy).

The healthiest diets have a variety of foods, including some foods with protein, and fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals. You need only a small amount of fat and sugar. But if you have problems getting enough food, it is better to eat foods with sugar and fat than to eat too little food.

A woman does not need to eat all the foods listed here to be healthy. She can eat the main foods she is accustomed to, and add as many helper foods as are available in her area.

Sources
  • Burns, A. A., Niemann, S., Lovich, R., Maxwell, J., & Shapiro, K. (2014). Where women have no doctor: A health guide for women. Hesperian Foundation.
  • Audiopedia ID: en010403