Healthful eating means having a balanced diet choosing from all five main food groups, in the right quantities.

Whole grains

Examples of whole grains are wholemeal bread, pasta, and cereals, in which each grain includes the germ and bran.

To make sure the grains are whole grains, look for the word “whole” or “whole grain” on the nutritional information on the packaging.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Choosing a variety of colors can help maximize the intake of nutrients.

Protein

Vital for repairing tissues in the body, many protein-rich foods also contain high levels of minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Excellent sources of protein include meats, fish, and eggs. Beans, nuts, quorn, and soya are protein options for those on a vegetarian diet.

Dairy

A calcium-rich diet promotes healthy bones and teeth. Dairy products are good sources of calcium. Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are recommended.

Fats

Fats are important for brain health, energy, absorption of certain vitamins, and for skin, hair, and joint health.

Saturated fats are present in cream, fatty meat, and fried foods. Too much saturated fat can lead to heart disease.

Unsaturated fats are present in avocado and oily fish. They help reduce the “bad” cholesterol in blood.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that healthy fats should make up less than 30 percent of total calories.

Sugars

Sugars occur naturally in some foods, such as fruits, or they can be added as a sweetener. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain, heart problems, blood sugar imbalances, and other health issues.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.