GoodRx Guide
Nutrition and Healthy Eating: Your GoodRx Guide
When we talk about nutrition basics, we’re talking about providing your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. But what are nutrients? Let’s break it down. Two components make up nutrients: macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts (hence “macro”). They make up the bulk of what you eat and give you energy in the form of calories to perform tasks, from running a marathon to writing a list. They include:
Carbohydrates (simple and complex)
Protein
Fat (trans, saturated, unsaturated)
Micronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in smaller quantities (hence “micro”). They include:
Micronutrients work together to perform hundreds of roles in your body. They help heal wounds, build bones, maintain brain function, and bolster your immune system and metabolism. They even help turn food into energy.
If you eat a variety of whole (unprocessed) foods, you’ll likely get all the micronutrients needed from your diet alone.
What to eat
The question of what to eat seems simple. Eating is something we’ve done since our first days on this planet. Yet sometimes knowing what to eat can feel complicated. Thankfully, the basics remain true for most people:
Make fruits and vegetables your friend.
Choose whole grains over white, refined ones.
Limit solid fats, sugar, salt, and alcohol, when possible.
Diversify your proteins.
Drink mostly water.
While these basics serve as a framework, the details are where things get murky. We can help.
There’s a lot of noise out there telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat. From fad diets to false claims, much of what you read online can point you in the wrong direction. But we at GoodRx Health know what makes healthy eating.
Healthy eating allows for a wide variety of foods. It’s about eating what you enjoy with people you like. You never have to treat food as the enemy. Finding an eating style might take a bit of experimentation. But the journey can be fun — and the results are worth it.
How to shop
If each step beyond grabbing a cart at the grocery store seems intimidating, you’re not alone. Many people find grocery shopping hard. This might have to do with the fact the average grocery store has over 31,000 products. The seemingly endless choices paired with your busy schedule can get in the way of your efforts to shop healthy. Adding to the confusion is clever advertising from the food industry.
GoodRx Health will take you aisle by aisle, answering questions that come up like:
Having answers to these questions will make you a smarter shopper, one whose fridge and pantry are stocked with nutrient-rich foods. And, knowing the cost of shopping can be stressful, we’ll make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
Food and nutrition policy 101
Good nutrition starts with access to good food. There are laws that govern what you eat. These include the:
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus. The ACA also requires diet counseling as a covered preventive benefit.
Once food hits your table, it’s also been regulated by two major players — the:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the regulation of meat, poultry, and some egg products. They do everything from labeling eggs as organic to overseeing plants during slaughtering and processing.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which assures the safety of all other foods and drinks. They do everything from testing for dangerous bacteria to regulating nutrition labels.
These governing bodies (as many as 15!) and laws aim to give everyone access to safe and nutritious food.
Common concerns
When you eat a diet rich in nutrient-dense, whole foods, you’re setting yourself up to feel your best, from your mood to your energy levels. You’re also decreasing your risk of:
Heart disease
Some types of cancer
Obesity
High blood pressure
Maintaining good nutrition when you’re dealing with a medical condition is hard. But there are options for who to turn to.
Start by asking your primary care provider. They may point you to a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). An RDN can provide personalized dietary advice taking into consideration your medical condition and your lifestyle habits.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a Find a Nutrition Expert online tool to locate an RDN in your area.
Not necessarily! Despite an estimated 45 million Americans dieting each year, research shows that dieting is rarely effective, doesn’t reliably improve health, and can do more harm than good.
For many, there’s a better way. It emphasizes taking small steps toward eating nutrient-rich foods to fuel your body. This looks different for everyone, depending on factors like culture, finances, likes and dislikes, and time. Remember, a healthy eating pattern is one you’re most likely to stick with.
There are broader guidelines that may help you develop a healthy eating style. For example:
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and low-fat dairy products. It’s associated with the prevention of many diseases, including obesity.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet) consists of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and minimally processed foods. It also recommends reduced sodium (salt) intake to protect your heart health.
References
American Heart Association. (2020). What is the Mediterranean diet?
Boston Medical Center. (ND). Weight management.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Nutrition.
Johnson, R. (2016). The federal food safety system: a primer. Congressional Research Service.
Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Food labeling & nutrition.
Food Research & Action Center. (ND). SNAP/Farm Bill.
HealthCare.gov. (ND). Preventive care benefits for adults.
Lai, J.S., et al. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in community-dwelling adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Ge, L., et al. (2020). Comparison of dietary macronutrient patterns of 14 popular named dietary programmes for weight and cardiovascular risk factor reduction in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (ND). Health information.
National Institute of Health. (2018). Plan your plate.
The Food Industry Association. (2020). Supermarket facts.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020). The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Eat healthy. MyHealthFinder.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (ND). Nutrition and food services.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021). Vitamins. MedlinePlus.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021). Minerals. MedlinePlus.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021). Phytochemicals. MedlinePlus.
