You could choose a diet made of nutrient-rich foods. Nutrient-rich foods are low in sugar, sodium, starches, and bad fats. They contain vitamins and minerals and few calories. Your body needs vitamins and minerals, known as micronutrients. They can keep you out away from chronic diseases. It is a proper way to intake these micronutrients from food to let your body absorb them well.
How to improve health
It is quite difficult to obtain all the vitamin and minerals your body needs. Americans tend to eat foods that contain excessive calories and less micronutrients. These foods usually contain too much sugar, salt, and fats. This is easily to get you overweight. It will increase your chance to get health issues, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), American adults may not get enough of the following micronutrients.
| Nutrient | Food sources |
| Calcium | Nonfat and low-fat dairy, dairy substitutes, broccoli, dark, leafy greens, and sardines |
| Potassium | Bananas, cantaloupe, raisins, nuts, fish, and spinach and other dark greens |
| Fiber | Legumes (dried beans and peas), whole-grain foods and brans, seeds, apples, strawberries, carrots, raspberries, and colorful fruit and vegetables |
| Magnesium | Spinach, black beans, peas, and almonds |
| Vitamin A | Eggs, milk, carrots, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe |
| Vitamin C | Oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, kiwi, broccoli, and red and green bell peppers |
| Vitamin E | Avocados, nuts, seeds, whole-grain foods, and spinach and other dark leafy greens |
Questions to ask your doctor
- How should I change my diet to include these foods?
- How do I know I have enough intake of micronutrients?
- Can I take supplements or multivitamins to increase my nutrients?