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. 2022 Jan 10;1:100005. doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2021.100005

Table 2.

General Principles of Healthful Nutrition. Listed are general nutritional recommendations [4].

General Principles of Healthful Nutrition
Limit: Encourage:
  • o

    Limit ultra-processed foods of minimal nutritional value such as “sweets,” “junk foods,” cakes, cookies, candy, pies, chips, sugar-sweetened beverages, and ultra-processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and pastrami.
  • o

    Encourage consumption of minimally processed proteins and fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as marine oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as fats from naturally fatty foods such as nuts and seeds, avocados, and olives.
  • o

    Limit saturated fats.∗
  • o

    Encourage vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains [1,2].
  • o

    Limit sodium intake.
  • o

    Encourage complex carbohydrates over simple sugars and low glycemic index/load foods over high glycemic index/load foods.
  • o

    Limit foods high in cholesterol in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease and known intestinal hyper absorbers of cholesterol, such as some patients with obesity who undergo weight loss.∗∗
  • o

    Encourage high-fiber foods over low-fiber foods.
  • o

    Limit alcohol and high-calorie alcoholic drinks.
  • o

    Encourage no-sugar-added dairy products (while being mindful of caloric content).
  • o

    Avoid energy-dense foods and beverages.
  • o

    Encourage minimally processed and whole foods over ultra-processed, packaged foods.
  • o

    Avoid trans fats.
  • o

    Among sweeteners, sucrose and saccharin may increase body weight compared to aspartame, rebaudioside A, and sucralose [3].

∗ Some clinical data suggest variance in the potential unhealthful nature of some saturated fats, depending on the clinical scenario. (See discussion below).

∗∗ Patients with obesity who lose weight and become leaner may increase their intestinal absorption of cholesterol, which may help explain why some patients on a ketogenic diet may have marked increases in cholesterol blood levels. (See discussion below) [5].