Diet

The term diet describes the food and drink consumed by a person.

A healthy diet does not depend on the selection of a single type of food. Instead, it depends on the selection of many different foods over time. A healthy diet encourages you to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious food.

Consistently having a poor diet can impact our health on a DNA level and can lead to DNA damage, and thus to an increased risk of disease.

Healthy diet

High in fibre
Low in saturated fat
High fruit or vegetables intake (High polyphenols)
High level of micronutrients
Calorie intake appropriate for BMI, age, gender and activity levels
Sufficient omega-3 fatty acids
Moderate protein

Unhealthy diet

Low in fibre
High in saturated fat
Low fruit or vegetables intake (Low polyphenols)
Low level of micronutrients
Calorie-dense
Low omega-3 fatty acids
High protein

Click here to view the Australian dietary guideline poster.

An example of healthy diet:

Lean chicken
Salad
Broccoli
Olive oil
Milk

References:

Commonwealth of Australia. Australian dietary guidelines. 2013.www.eatforhealth.gov.au
WHO. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases: report of a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation. WHO technical report series, 2002.

Referred from:

Nutritional calories

Australian dietary poster