A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve general health.

It is thought to be important for lowering health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer.[1] A healthy diet involves consuming primarily fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to satisfy caloric requirements, provide the body with essential nutrients, phytochemicals, and fibre, and provide adequate water intake. A healthy diet supports energy needs and provides for human nutrition without exposure to toxicity or excessive weight gain from consuming excessive amounts.
Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, its about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

Health food
Health food is food considered to be beneficial to health in ways that go beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. Because there is no precise, authoritative definition from regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, different dietary practices can be considered healthy depending on context. Foods considered "healthy" may be natural foods, organic foods, whole foods, and sometimes dietary supplements. Such products are sold in health food stores or in the health/organic sections of supermarkets. "Health food" may also refer to functional food that designed to address specific health concerns, such as the prevention of disease. Additionally, "health food" is sometimes used in contrast with "junk food", which may be high in calories but has little other nutritional value.

Healthy claims in food labeling and marketing

Main article: Health claims on food labels In the United States, health-related claims on nutrition facts labels are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FDA, "Health claims describe a relationship between a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient, and reducing risk of a disease or health-related condition".[1] In general, claims of health benefits for specific foodstuffs have not been evaluated by national regulatory agencies. Additionally, research funded by manufacturers or marketers that may form the basis of such

marketing claims has been shown to result in more favorable results than independently funded research.[2]</block quote> While there is no precise definition for "health food", the United States Food and Drug Administration has warned food manufacturers against labeling foods as being "healthy" when they have a high sugar, salt, or fat content.[3]

Foods considered healthy

Apple cider vinegar, a fruit vinegar that is sometimes considered a health food Broccoli sprouts Corn flakes, patented food invented in 1894 Digestive biscuit, English baked good from 1851, containing fiber and sometimes sodium bicarbonate Graham cracker, 1829 cracker made with whole grain Graham flour Graham bread, a type of whole wheat bread Granola, a food made from mixed, toasted grains Granula, the first manufactured breakfast cereal, 1863 Grape-Nuts, an American breakfast cereal made from baked and ground grain, 1897 Herbal extract, plants, often medicinal that are concentrated and standardized Herbal teas Honey, a naturally occurring whole sweetener Malt, whole sprouted barley Meat analogue, a dietary alternative Molasses, black strap molasses has been sold as a health food Muesli, breakfast cereal of rolled oats, fruit and nuts, made by a Swiss doctor, 1900 Postum, a coffee alternative from 1895 Shredded wheat, the whole wheat cereal from 1893 Hybread 100% whole wheat bread made from dark green vegetables