What Does a Healthy Diet Consist Of

It's time to take the guesswork out of what a healthy diet consists of. A healthy diet consists of the right foods in the right ratios. That's the short answer. There are a lot of things you should know about good fats, good carbs, portion sizes and the like. However, the basic answer to what a healthy diet consists of comes down to the ratio of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your total daily calories.

Special Note for Heart Patients:

People who have had heart surgery have unique dietary needs. Learn more about what a heart surgery patient's diet should be like.

If you need to manage your weight, you'll need to get a rough estimate on how many calories you actually need each day. For now, let's just focus on the ratios that will get you to a place where you can call your diet healthy.

A Healthy Diet Is 50%-60% Carbohydrates

About half of all the calories you take in on a daily basis should be carbs. Contrary to popular belief about what a healthy diet consists of, carbohydrates should be the foundation of a healthy diet.

That's why they're at the bottom of the USDA food guide pyramid. If you are very active, then 60% of your calories should come from carbs. Now, keep in mind that half of all your carbs should be whole grains like the ones in whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and whole oats.

A Healthy Diet IsNo More Than 30% Fat

No more than 30% of your daily caloric intake should be from fat. Most of these fats should be the kind that are liquid when they're left at room temperature. These are the healthy fats that come from plants like olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil. These fats actually help you to lose weight, have beautiful hair and skin, and keep your heart healthy.

A Healthy Diet Is About 20% Protein

So far the equation of what a healthy diet consists of is 50% carbs + 30% fat. That makes up 80% of your healthy diet. The remaining 20% should come from protein which should mostly be lean sources of protein. These sources can be fish, skinless poultry breasts, egg whites, soy protein, and reduced-fat peanut butter.

If you're doing any heavy weight lifting you'll need slightly more protein than that based on your weight. But for most people, 20% is all you need. You don't need those protein shakes you buy at the mall with all the calories in them, either. They're full of sugar and calories and if you eat meat, you're getting more than enough protein.