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Nutrition Guide

You don't need a diet with a name. A handful of principles cover most of what nutrition science agrees on.

Use the plate method

Half your plate vegetables and fruit, a quarter protein, a quarter whole grains or starches. It automatically handles portions and balance without counting anything.

Eat more fiber (seriously)

Target ~25–38g/day; most Americans get half that. Beans, oats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Fiber is linked to lower heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer risk.

Get enough protein, spread out

Roughly 0.7–1g per pound of goal body weight if you're active, less if sedentary — spread across meals. It preserves muscle, especially past 50, and keeps you full.

Watch added sugar and sodium

Caps to aim under: ~25g added sugar/day (women) and 36g (men); 2,300mg sodium. Most of both comes from packaged food, not your kitchen.

Read a label in 30 seconds →

Mostly-whole-foods beats perfect

The common thread across Mediterranean, DASH, and other well-studied patterns: mostly plants, whole grains, lean proteins, olive oil, minimal ultra-processed food. Pick the version you'll actually sustain.

Be skeptical of supplements

For most people with a decent diet, most supplements don't move outcomes. Exceptions exist (vitamin D deficiency, B12 for vegans, prenatal folic acid) — test and confirm with your doctor rather than guessing.

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