In my opinion, a healthy diet is a plant-based diet, like the one followed by Zhang Wei in the discussion scenario. A plant-based diet is defined as a diet that derives most of its proteins from plants, although sometimes animal foods can be included in the diet (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018), Glossary H 2-1). A plant-based diet meets the 2015 -2020 dietary guidelines for Americans in various ways. Foremost, most plant-based foods are healthy foods, which aligns with the fourth dietary guideline, which proposes a shift to healthier foods. In addition, plant-based dietary includes eating whole fruits, a variety of vegetables, and grains, which are all among the key recommendations of the dietary guidelines for Americans.
While selecting a diet, one should consider some of the factors that diet planners proposed. In section 2-1, principles and Guidelines, Whitney and Rolfes (2018) opined that some of the factors to consider while planning a diet to be adequacy, balance, variety, and nutrient density. Adequacy means the diet should provide enough nutrients and energy that can meet the needs of a person. For example, the diet should contain iron to replenish the iron lost by the body daily. Balance in the diet ensures adequacy by ensuring that the diet contains just enough of the body's important nutrients. The nutrient density aspect refers to "a measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to the energy it provides" (Whitney & Rolfes, 2018, Section 2.1 Diet-planning principles). Considering variety ensures improvement of adequacy. It is also important for people to eat a variety of foods rather than eating the same food each day. Finally, moderation is an important factor for consideration when planning diet as it contributes to adequacy and balance. If all these factors are considered during diet planning, one will consume a healthy diet.
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References
Whitney, E., & Rolfes, S. R. (2018). Understanding nutrition . Cengage Learning.
