Nutrition Basics

Woman blowing bubble gum balloon to get the benefits of chewing gum
6 Unexpected Benefits of Chewing Gum — and 3 Bubble-Bursting Drawbacks
Nutrition
Healthy vegan cauliflower buffalo wings with celery and ranch dip for healthy junk food
Seriously Smart (and Healthy!) Swaps for 8 of Your Favorite Junk Foods
Nutrition
Illustration showing new food trends of 2020
8 Food Trends You’re Going to See Everywhere in 2020
Nutrition
Illustration of CBD, cauliflower, keto food trends in 2019
8 Food Trends That Shaped Healthy Eating Habits in 2019
Nutrition
Healthy breakfast with plant based food like granola topped with natural yoghurt, kiwi, raspberry, blueberry, passion fruit served with honey
The 9 Best and Worst Plant-Based Ingredients
Nutrition
Asparagus is a prebiotic food for gut health.
Add These 8 Best Prebiotic Foods to Your Diet for Good Gut Health
Nutrition
Manuka honey benefits
Manuka Honey Boasts Some Major Health Benefits — but Only if You Choose the Right Jar
Nutrition
Personal perspective directly above view of man eating breakfast at a cafe
This Is Why You’re So Hungry the Morning After a Big Dinner
Nutrition
Friends dining on saturated fat in cheese
If You're Trying to Cut Saturated Fat, This May Be the Most Important Place to Start
Nutrition
Woman seasoning her pot with sodium-rich salt
30 Foods High in Sodium to Cut Back On (and What to Eat Instead)
Nutrition
A man drinking a sports drink with electrolytes after a workout
What Are Electrolytes, Anyway?
Nutrition
Young Woman Harvesting Home Grown Lettuce
Here's What to Eat to Boost Your Health and Help the Environment
Nutrition
Woman grocery shopping with costco grocery list
10 Healthy Groceries You'll Want to Buy in Bulk at Costco
Nutrition
Woman eating croissant, which is one of the trans fat foods
6 Foods That Might Still Contain Trans Fats
Nutrition
Hand pouring cola soda drink from bottle to glass not knowing how much sugar in coke
If You're Trying to Cut Sugar, This May Be the Most Important Place to Start
Nutrition
Young woman eating doughnut
The Short and Sweet List of Gluten-Free Items at Dunkin' Donuts
Nutrition
A person in bed reaching for a glass of water
11 Dos and Don'ts of Dealing With a Food Hangover (Yes, Those Are Real)
Nutrition
Friends cooking salad and adding gluten-free salad dressing.
End Your Gluten-Free Salad Dressing Search With These Brands
Nutrition
Choosing healthy sugar concept: sweets and baked food is less than fresh and dried fruits on bright yellow background
4 Reasons to Eat Just a Little Bit Less Sugar
Nutrition
A woman using canned food to make dinner at home
5 Foods That Serve Up More Antioxidants When You Buy Them Canned
Nutrition
Person drinking a pre-workout supplement drink at the gym
Do You Really Need to Take a Pre-Workout Supplement?
Nutrition
Shopping together for healthy food at target
25 Healthy (and Affordable) Foods You Can Only Buy at Target
Nutrition
mixed media graphic of hand saying no to stack of bagels on yellow background
What Really Happens to Your Body When You Drastically Cut Carbs
Nutrition
Woman at a supermarket shopping with a Kroger grocery list
10 Healthy Groceries at Kroger to Add to Your Shopping List
Nutrition
Vegan open sandwiches for bone health with guacamole, tofu, chickpeas and sprouts on a plate.
Want to Age Well? Eat These 8 Foods for Strong Bones
Nutrition
Pulled pork sandwich with tomato, lettuce and gluten-free BBQ sauce
9 Gluten-Free Barbecue Sauces — and a Tasty DIY Recipe
Nutrition
Young woman with freckles drinking orange fruit juice
Why Drinking Juice Isn't Nearly as Healthy as Eating Whole Fruit
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing watermelon nutrition.
Watermelon Nutrition: Benefits, Calories, Risks and More
Nutrition
zoodles zucchini noodles low carb pasta with meatballs and olives
6 Low-Carb Pasta Alternatives That Fit Into Any Diet Plan
Nutrition
Boy eating gluten-free hot dog
The Best Gluten-Free Hot Dog Brands — and a Few to Avoid
Nutrition
Adding salt tovegetable salad glass bowl for low sodium diet
10 Effortless Ways to Finally Cut Down on Salt
Nutrition
Friends eating gluten-free french fries around a large table
Is It Safe to Order French Fries if You Follow a Gluten-Free Diet?
Nutrition
Custom graphic showing grapefruit nutrition.
Grapefruit 101: Health Benefits, Warnings and Tasty Recipes to Try
Nutrition
hand holding white mug of coffee with illustrations of caffeine from coffee, tea, energy drinks and other sources
How Caffeine Affects Your Body, From Your Brain to Your Bladder
Nutrition
Man eating salmon and drinking wine, two anti-inflammatory foods
10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Add to Your Diet
Nutrition
Baked eggplant stuffed with couscous, which is not gluten-free, plus tomatoes, feta and basil leaves
Why Couscous Isn't Gluten-Free — and the Best Alternatives to Try
Nutrition
Women making smoothie in kitchen with healthy swaps to eat less sugar
10 Easy Food Swaps That Cut Your Sugar and Saturated Fat Intake in Half
Nutrition
Basil Seeds nutrition packed pudding
Basil Seeds Are the New Chia Seeds — Here's What You Need to Know
Nutrition
Mason jars of yogurt
5 Probiotic-Rich Recipes Your Gut Will Love
Nutrition
Woman eating impossible burger or beyond burger
Cracking Down on Fake Meat: Are the Impossible and Beyond Burgers Healthier Than Real Beef?
Nutrition
Buckwheat porridge with milk for gluten-free breakfast
What Is Buckwheat and Is It Gluten-Free?
Nutrition
game board illustration of concept of skipping breakfast
How Bad Is It Really to Skip Breakfast?
Nutrition
Top view of a bowl of colorful loops cereals for breakfast
Breakfast Isn't the Most Important Meal of the Day — Here's Why
Nutrition
Holding choline-rich quinoa plant-based veggie bowl
The Vital Brain Nutrient Your Plant-Based Diet Might Be Missing
Nutrition
Grilled sweet potato rounds with rosemary on a grill pan
The 4 Best Foods to Keep Your Eyes in Tip-Top Shape
Nutrition
Gluten-free soy sauce pouring on a plate of food
How to Find the Best Gluten-Free Soy Sauce for You
Nutrition
One of the best zucchini recipes: A cutting board with zucchini fries next to a cup of yogurt dipping sauce garnished with fresh parsley
30 Creative Zucchini Recipes That Go Beyond Zoodles
Nutrition
Golden milk latte with turmeric in a glass strewed with cinnamon, on a blue wooden background
6 Anti-Inflammatory Recipes Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
Nutrition
Single Glass of Fresh Orange Juice on wooden table with palm on the side
Quench Your Thirst the Right Way With These 4 Cold Drinks
Nutrition
Man putting best creatine supplement powder into a protein shake
Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Creatine Supplement for You
Nutrition
Roast sweet potato stuffed with feta cheese and kale. healthy food
7 Vital Benefits of Vitamin A and How to Get the Right Amount
Nutrition
White bean cannellini salad omega 3 vegan salad
5 Omega-3-Packed Recipes That Aren't Fish
Nutrition
Sports nutrition smoothie next to person tying shoes before workout
Optimize Your Diet to Improve Endurance and Crush Your Fitness Goals
Nutrition
A selection of foods with healthy fats, including salmon, nuts and avocado
7 Myths About Dietary Fats You Should Stop Believing Right Now
Nutrition
Nutrition facts label with different macronutrients highlighted
Ready to Track Your Macros? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Nutrition
Pink, white and brown donuts in a pattern on a yellow background
A Dietitian-Approved Plan to Kick Your Sugar Habit for Good
Nutrition
collage of 3 vegan protein powders
The 8 Best Vegan Protein Powders, According to a Dietitian
Nutrition
Bagged salad prewashed salad greens bagged spinach salad
Are Bagged Salad Greens Still Safe to Eat?
Nutrition
Couple using cooking tips and cooking hacks for healthy cooking in kitchen
Healthy Cooking Tips for Beginners and Experts Alike
Nutrition
Colorful variety of vitamin and supplement pills on a brown background
How to Determine if a Vitamin or Supplement Is Actually Right for You
Nutrition
how to grill grilling tips meat veggies grilled barbecue
11 Healthy Grilling Tips for the Best Barbecue Ever
Nutrition
Vitamin D-deficient woman basking in the sunlight
Vitamin D: The Mighty Nutrient You're Probably Missing Out On
Nutrition
Dairy free lactose free milk pouring into blender for smoothie
Do 'Lactose-Free' and 'Dairy-Free' Mean the Same Thing?
Nutrition
colorful multivitamins in a pattern on a blue background
Confused About Multivitamins? Here's How to Choose the Best One for You
Nutrition
Is horchata healthy recipe cinnamon stick and lime.
How to Make a Delicious Horchata With Zero Sugar
Nutrition
Multicolored Kombucha Floats
What a Dietitian Thinks About Kombucha Floats, Summer’s Hottest Drink
Nutrition
woman storing canned food in fridge
Is Storing an Open Can in the Fridge Actually Safe?
Nutrition
Female jogger drinking diet supplements like Plexus from bottle
Inside the Pink Drink: What You Should Know Before Trying Plexus for Weight Loss
Nutrition
woman making a salad
Are You Getting Enough Fiber? Here's How to Tell
Nutrition
a collage of three of the best collagen supplements
The 7 Best Collagen Supplements for Your Personal Wellness Goals
Nutrition
Woman holding white pill capsules like Keto Ultra Diet Supplement
What Exactly Is the Keto Ultra Diet Supplement and Should You Take It?
Nutrition
The 2018 Baby2Baby Gala Presented By Paul Mitchell Event - Arrivals
Here's What Jessica Alba Eats in a Day
Nutrition

We believe healthy eating habits are the foundation of good health. At our nutrition basics page, we offer a variety of resources to help you understand the food groups, macronutrients, micronutrients, portion sizes and more.

Our team of nutrition experts provides in-depth articles on a variety of nutrition-related topics, such as how to read food labels, how to build a balanced meal and how to make healthy food choices when dining out.

We understand nutrition can be a complex and confusing topic, which is why we strive to present information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Whether you're looking to improve your overall health, manage a specific health condition or just learn more about nutrition, our nutrition basics page has something for everyone.