Eating a variety of foods from the five major food groups provides a range of different nutrients to the body, promotes good health and can help reduce disease risk — as well as keep your diet interesting with different flavors and the textures.

Many of the foods that often appear regularly in modern diets are not part of the five food groups. These foods, sometimes referred to as “junk” foods, can sometimes be enjoyed as “discretionary choices” or “accidental foods,” but they should not be regularly present in a healthy diet. Fats and oils are rich in kilojoules (energy) but are necessary for a healthy diet in small amounts.

This information tells us that we need to focus on eating the fresh foods that provide us with the nutrients our bodies need.

Unfortunately, the food industry does not make a great deal of profit from fresh foods; Processed foods where the money is. Even the major food companies have lobbied hard against the public health plans – such as a campaign ordering fast food to be removed from schools.

These junk foods, made from the crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans, are high in calories (fillers) and lack the nutritional value your body needs. However, since they are derived from the crops, it can be difficult to tell whether they are healthy or not, and misleading claims on labels only make matters worse.

A healthy eating plan is one that includes all the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis without any non-food additives.

Vegetables and any subset such as the beans, peas, starches, and those that are dark green, red or orange

• whole fruits
• Whole grains such as the quinoa, corn, millet, and brown rice
• The low-fat dairy products
• A variety of proteins such as lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and the soy products
• Oils such as the olive, flaxseed, canola, and avocado

Only about a quarter of the population eats the recommended amounts of the fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and oils. However, more than half of the population meet or exceed the overall recommendations regarding grains and protein.

When eating grains, it is advised to eat only whole grains that include the whole grain kernel, bran and seed. If you’re eating refined grains (or processed grains), the bran and germ have been removed removing iron, dietary fiber, and other key nutrients.