How to Eat a Healthy Diet

Over a lifetime, the average human will consume enough energy to fly a Boeing 747 jet from Los Angeles to New York just over 50 times. That’s an enormous amount of fuel to be sure, which speaks to how much nutrition plays a role in not only powering our daily activities, but also our well-being.

While there’s a lot of nutrition information available, much of it is confusing and, in many cases, not supported by scientific evidence. Fortunately, there is a lot of overlap between a diet that is both health-promoting and one that also supports high levels of physical performance.

In this article, we’ll break down complex nutritional concepts into digestible pieces, making it easier for you to adopt a health-conscious lifestyle and reap the benefits of a well-rounded dietary pattern. Each section is designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, whether you’re cooking at home, dining out, or navigating busy schedules. By incorporating these actionable steps, you’ll learn how to create nourishing meals that align with your goals, while also giving you the knowledge to separate the signal from the noise when it comes to nutrition science.

Let’s start off with an easy one, what IS a healthy diet?

What is a Healthy Diet?

There are many different ways to eat a healthy diet, which aims to promote normal growth and development in childhood and adolescence, to improve and maintain robust health and function throughout adulthood, and to prevent or delay the development of disease across the lifespan. 

We’ll use the term dietary pattern to describe the habitual, average dietary intake over long periods of time. The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee defines a dietary pattern as: “the quantities, proportions, variety or combination of different foods, drinks, and nutrients in diets and the frequency with which they are habitually consumed.” [2]

Dietary Patterns

Rather than focusing on single foods or nutrients that a person might eat occasionally, the dietary pattern describes what they eat on average, most of the time. This can be beneficial for research aiming to identify whether repeatedly eating a particular way correlates with disease. For example, eating a dietary pattern that’s high in fiber and low in added sugars lowers the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. [3]. 

Focusing on the dietary pattern instead of single foods or nutrients is also important for the individual, as the long-term average intake is the main determinant of both the health and performance effects of a given diet. Changing people’s dietary pattern is so important, that improving dietary patterns across the population is a major public health goal.[1]  

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee suggests that a healthy diet features a high intake of “vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, lean meat and poultry, seafood, nuts, and unsaturated fats” and a relatively lower intake of processed meats, food and drink with added sugars, and refined grains. [2]

While we agree with these recommendations in principle, they do not provide enough specific guidance on what foods to eat and how much of them. In the rest of the article, we’ll cover the details of the most important parts of a dietary pattern that supports both health and performance. 

Calories

An individual’s daily Calorie or energy intake should achieve healthy body fat and muscle mass levels, while also supporting appropriate amounts of physical activity.

What is a Calorie?

Calories are the unit of measurement used to measure energy in food, much in the same way seconds are used to measure time and kilograms are used to measure mass. Technically speaking, a calorie (with a lower-case c) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Our food contains thousands of times more energy than this, so rather than using the term “kilocalories” when measuring the energy in food, this term has been abbreviated as Calories with an upper-case C.  Therefore, 1 Calorie = 1 kilocalorie = 1000 calories. So when someone asks, “Is a Calorie a Calorie?” the answer is unequivocally, “Yes!” It’s just a unit of measurement.

It is important to note that the regulation of energy intake is a complex process that is not primarily under conscious control. In other words, we do not “decide” to be hungry no more than we choose to be happy, sad, thirsty, or warm. Instead, the feeling of hunger seems to arise on its own until it demands our attention. How strongly this is felt and how it influences our behaviors involves a variety of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. This can result in an appetite that is either matched or mismatched to our actual Calorie needs, regardless of our conscious desires. [13,14,15]

The dietary pattern can play a strong role in how many Calories we eat. For example, a diet that contains a lot of ultra-processed foods can lead to a spontaneous increase in Calories consumed. Specifically, ultra-processed foods with added sodium, added sugars, and/or added fats tend to be very tasty, high in Calories, and not very filling, leading to an individual consuming more food on average. [16]

In contrast, plant-based dietary patterns, such as vegan and vegetarian diets, tend to reduce Calorie intake considerably. Some studies suggest that those following a plant-based dietary pattern consume over 600 fewer Calories per day compared to the typical Western diet. [17] While we aren’t explicitly recommending a vegetarian or vegan diet to everyone, we do think including more fruits, vegetables, and other plant matter is a good idea in general.  

Another factor that strongly influences Calorie intake is the food environment. This refers to the foods available in a person’s home, at work, and in their community. In general, the more access someone has to foods that are high in Calories and not very filling, the higher their Calorie intake is. This seems to be true even when there are a lot of healthy options available in the same place, because the tasty, ultra-processed foods tend to win out despite our best efforts and intentions. [18]

In sum, a dietary pattern that supports both health and performance should result in the appropriate energy intake by consisting mostly of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. 

How Many Calories Do I Need?

To calculate the amount of Calories you need, we recommend using our Calorie calculator, which is a free tool based on pretty good evidence.

To adhere to this Calorie level, we recommend modifying the food environment to increase access to these types of foods and reduce access to ultra-processed ones that are high in Calories, added sodium, and added sugar.

We acknowledge that for the most part, an individual’s intake is not under their conscious control, thereby signifying the importance of eating behavior determinants such as the food environment. In short, if the food environment doesn’t or can’t change, many will have a difficult time significantly changing their dietary pattern.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are the food-based compounds that humans eat in the biggest quantities, which include protein, carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol. [4,5] The average amount of energy (Calories), in each macronutrient are approximately as follows:

• 1 gram of protein = ~ 4 Calories
• 1 gram of carbohydrate = ~ 4 Calories
• 1 gram of fat = ~ 9 Calories
• 1 gram of alcohol = ~ 7 Calories [6]

Based on data collected during interviews with tens of thousands of adults in the United States over recent decades, the average daily macronutrient intake is:

• Protein: 81 grams (16.4% of daily Calorie intake)
• Carbohydrates: 252 grams (50.5% of daily Calorie intake)
• Fats: 74 grams (33.2% of daily Calorie intake) [7]

The specific macronutrient composition of a diet — such as “higher carb, lower fat” or “higher fat, lower carb” — has less significance for determining body weight compared to overall Calorie intake. In other words, energy balance predicts weight change more than macronutrient proportions. An energy surplus is likely to drive an increase in weight, whereas an energy deficit is likely to reduce weight regardless of the macronutrient levels. 

As an example of this, you may be familiar with the Twinkie Diet, where Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University ate nothing but twinkies for 10 weeks, but at about an 800 Calorie deficit from what he otherwise would need to maintain his weight. Over the 10-week experiment, he lost 27 pounds, decreased his LDL by 20%, his triglycerides by 39%, and raised his HDL by 20%. All of this in response to an energy deficit, not a particular macronutrient composition. 

However, the composition of the diet does play an important role in other ways. Diets can have different impacts on feelings of fullness (known as “satiety”), a person’s ability to stick to the diet (known as “adherence”), physical performance, body composition (fat mass vs. muscle mass), and other health effects. [8] 

For example, increasing average dietary protein intake to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day (112 grams per day for a 70 kg person) from a lower level of habitual intake tends to increase strength and muscle growth from exercise. [9] Similarly, reducing intake of foods with added sugar can aid weight loss efforts by reducing total Calorie intake due to increased feelings of fullness and reduced hunger. [10] 

In the following sections, we’ll dive into recommendations for protein, carbohydrate, and fat intakes. If you’re interested in calculating your own macronutrient targets, check out our free macronutrient calculator.

How Much Protein Should You Eat?

With respect to protein intake, we recommend most folks should target around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of total body weight per day unless there is a specific medical reason to consume less. People who are actively losing weight and/or who have risk factors for anabolic resistance such as a chronic disease requiring the use of glucocorticoids may aim a bit higher. [9] Highly competitive physique athletes like bodybuilders attempting to maintain as much muscle as possible while losing weight may benefit from increasing intake as high as 3.1 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

Does Protein Source Matter?

For those able to consume protein within this range, plant sources (e.g. soy, legumes, lentils) appear to be equivalent to animal sources (e.g. beef, fish, eggs) for promoting strength and muscle growth.  However, the distinction between plant and animal protein sources may be more important for those eating a protein-restricted diet, or less than 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. In this case, prioritizing animal-derived protein sources may lead to better outcomes with respect to strength & muscle growth. [19,20] It is worth noting that there may still be other health benefits to plant-derived protein sources apart from muscle-related effects. In general, eating more plant-based foods tends to lead to a healthier dietary pattern. 

Achieving this minimum level of protein in the diet isn’t a huge stretch, as the average protein intake in the United States is about 1.0 gram per kilogram body weight per day. Unfortunately, the majority of this tends to come from ultra-processed foods and protein sources that contain a lot of fat, thereby increasing energy intake. [7,21]

We recommend most people consume 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of total bodyweight per day coming from lean, predominantly unprocessed or minimally processed sources. For more information on dietary protein, see our guidelines here.

How Many Carbohydrates Should You Eat?

For most individuals, carbohydrates represent nearly half of the Calories consumed daily. [7] Carbohydrate intake therefore represents a large modifiable component of overall energy balance. The specific amount of daily carbohydrate intake does not carry a ton of significance provided that other components of a health-promoting dietary pattern are in place — although the types of carbohydrates can have significant health and performance implications.

For example, multiple lines of converging data show that diets higher in fiber correlate with better health, likely due to the consumption of a dietary pattern rich in foods that are naturally high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. [12] While fiber itself may not be entirely causal, the data suggests that the total dietary fiber intake should be at least 25-30 grams per day, ideally sourced from vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrate sources. [22]

Low Carbohydrate Diets and Performance

One quick note, recent evidence has suggested that low levels of dietary carbohydrate may impair muscle mass gain along with both strength and endurance performance, particularly in trained individuals. [23,24] 

Based on the existing evidence, we do not recommend a very low carbohydrate diet for trained individuals whose goals include significant muscular hypertrophy or strength, though a low-carbohydrate diet may be a reasonable choice for individuals new to exercise training who are trying to lose weight. There is likely minimal risk of impairing muscle gain in these individuals, particularly when compared to the substantial benefits of reducing fat mass and improving dietary patterns. 

In summary, we recommend eating as many servings of carbohydrates as is consistent with the total Calorie goals and the preferred dietary pattern. For performance-minded folks, we recommend a minimum of about 3 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram bodyweight per day.

Carbohydrates should primarily come from fiber-containing foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Finally, we recommend limiting access to foods with added sugar, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and teas.

How Much Fat Should You Eat?

Fats are the second major energy source for most humans, representing about a third of total daily energy intake on average. [7] Food sources rich in fats include oils, butter, certain animal meats, fish, dairy products, eggs, nuts, and avocados, among others.

Like carbohydrates, the specific amount of daily fat intake does not carry a ton of significance provided that other components of a health-promoting dietary pattern are in place — although the types of fat can have significant health and performance. [8]

For example, foods consisting mostly of unsaturated fats, e.g., those from marine and plant sources tend to be more health promoting than those rich saturated fat, particularly those from red meat consumed at relatively high levels.  Additionally, many ultra-processed foods that are high in Calories, but aren’t particularly filling contain added fats. We would recommend reducing access to these.

Can You Eat Too Little Fat?

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), like Essential Amino Acids, cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be included in the diet. These include linoleic acid (an “omega-6” fat) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, an “omega-3” fat). Deficiencies in total fatty acid intake are associated with a wide range of diseases including skin disorders, hair loss or depigmentation, and poor wound healing in adults due to decreased intake of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A,D,E, and K) and essential fatty acid driven cellular functions. In children, essential fatty acid deficiency can lead to reduced growth and increased susceptibility to infections

Essential fatty acid deficiency is very rare outside of serious medical conditions where fat intake, digestion, absorption, and/or metabolism are severely impaired. Conditions associated with malabsorption increase the risk of essential fatty acid deficiency; such conditions include Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and individuals who have undergone surgical removal of significant portions of their intestines, among others. While there are other potential causes of essential fatty acid deficiency, deliberate dietary restriction is a very rare cause.

In summary, we recommend eating as many servings of fat as is consistent with the total calorie and preferred dietary pattern. Fats should be primarily unsaturated, e.g., from seafood and plant sources, with saturated fat limited to approximately 10% or less of total Calories. When replacing saturated fat with other nutrients, we recommend foods rich in unsaturated fats or complex carbohydrates depending on an individual’s preferences. Finally, we recommend limiting access to ultra-processed foods with added fats, particularly those that also contain added sugar and sodium.

What Supplements Are Good for Health?

Supplement use is very common in most developed countries. Nearly 75% of Americans reported taking dietary supplements in the previous year, contributing to the over $35 billion dollars-a-year supplement market. [26,27] 

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of conflicting information out there about what supplements are useful or even safe. We don’t think most people need to take a supplement, but we do acknowledge that there are some supplements with evidence for improving health and performance. Let’s briefly cover some information regarding supplement safety as well as what evidence-based supplementation can look like. 

How Are Supplements Regulated?

In the United States, dietary supplements are classified as food and are therefore not subject to pre-market testing by the FDA, like pharmaceutical drugs are. The FDA tried to help by establishing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in an effort to limit supplement contamination, enforce accurate labeling, and set standards for monitoring and reporting adverse events. Unfortunately, over one-quarter of supplement companies are not registered with the FDA and of those who are registered, about 70% are in violation of GMP standards. [28]

Overall, about 20% of all dietary supplements available for purchase are likely contaminated, and 30-50% of all supplements are incorrectly labeled. [28,29] These are both likely underestimations due to underreporting and lack of research. Outside of safety concerns, many supplements don’t contain ingredients with good supporting evidence for benefit; and even if they do, the ingredients are often not present in the right amounts.

What Are the Best Supplements For Health and Performance?

For health, there are few supplements that have good evidence showing a benefit. For example, supplementing with vitamin D, fish oil, or multivitamins don’t seem to be beneficial for most people at reducing risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, or most other conditions outside of certain medical situations. [30,31,32]

A protein supplement may be beneficial for health and performance for those who would otherwise not consume the recommended amount of protein. [33] A small set of supplements have research showing benefit for performance; these are found in our Peri-Rx supplement, if that is consistent with someone’s goals.

We recommend considering the potential risks and benefits of each supplement based on evidence in humans and determining whether or not it’s a good fit for you. If you decide to use supplements, we recommend obtaining them from manufacturers that are GMP certified and third-party tested by Informed Consent, USP, NSF, or similar reputable organizations.

What Is The Healthiest Diet?

There are lots of confident claims about very specific diets being “optimal” for health and/or performance. These seem to span the full range of possibilities, from vegan to carnivore, low carbohydrate to high carbohydrate, low fat to high fat, low protein to high protein, fruitarian, paleo, keto, and many more. However, there is no good scientific evidence showing clear superiority of any particular diet for health or performance. [11]

Instead, we can find good health across a wide variety of populations and habitual dietary intakes. Examining the eating patterns of these populations often reveals a few common features among them, which will be discussed below. In contrast, certain other dietary features are clearly and consistently associated with higher risks of disease and premature death. For example, consuming that is high in fiber has consistently been shown to be beneficial for health. [12]

We recommend a dietary pattern that meets the targets covered in this podcast above and acknowledge that there are many ways to do so. Further, we recommend focusing on the foods consumed most frequently and an individual’s food environment rather than focusing on single nutrients or a very specific type of diet, even if it is popular.

Wrap-Up

So while nutrition science is extremely complex, imperfect, and in some situations controversial (for more, see here), we already know more than enough to improve health and performance through nutrition.

The list of targets discussed below outline a dietary pattern that supports both health and performance:

10 Tips to Start Eating a Healthy Diet

1. Total daily Calorie or energy intake should achieve healthy body fat and muscle mass levels, while also supporting appropriate amounts of physical activity. Use our free Calorie calculator.
2. Change the food environment by reducing access to foods with added sugar, added sodium, and increase availability of minimally processed foods in the home and work place to the extent that’s possible. 
3. At a given Calorie intake, changing macronutrient levels can affect results. We recommend using our free macronutrient calculator.
4. We recommend most people consume 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of total bodyweight per day coming from lean, predominantly unprocessed or minimally processed sources.
5. We recommend about 3 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram bodyweight per day from primarily fiber-containing foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
6. We recommend limiting access to foods with added sugar, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and teas.
7. Fats should be primarily unsaturated, e.g., from seafood and plant sources, with saturated fat limited to approximately 10% or less of total Calories. When replacing saturated fat with other nutrients, we recommend foods rich in unsaturated fats or complex carbohydrates depending on an individual’s preferences
8. We recommend considering the potential risks and benefits of supplements based on evidence in humans and determining whether or not it’s a good fit for you. 
9. If you decide to use supplements, we recommend obtaining them from manufacturers that are GMP certified and third-party tested by Informed Consent, USP, NSF, or similar reputable organizations.
10. Monitor results using an average of fasted weights taken first thing in the morning, a weekly waist and hip circumference, workout performance, and how you feel overall.

Although this information may be helpful, actually changing dietary behavior can be extremely difficult and complex. This is because eating behavior is influenced by a variety of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors – and much of this regulation of appetite and behavior occurs outside of our conscious control. [13,14]

So while we think that the information presented here is useful, we want listeners to understand that general human eating behavior emerges from the interactions between an individual’s genetic predispositions, subconscious regulation processes, and aspects of the surrounding environment like access to food, social context, and many others. [15]  Knowing these factors, we focus heavily on behavioral change in our coaching rather than just giving people information and expecting immediate change.

Lastly, while we think that everyone could benefit from a dietary pattern that promotes health and performance, it is important to avoid focusing exclusively on body weight or composition as a reflection of health. People have different values, preferences, and goals and we should respect those when treating individuals. There are often a number of lifestyle changes that can offer benefits independent of any effect on body weight or body fat. 

References

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