What is health food? It is something that has protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin and other elements in such a proportion that would benefit the person eating it. Now the need for these elements may vary from person to person. For example, an overweight person will need less fat and more vitamins in the diet. Thus, the determination of health food is sure to vary and it becomes a complex issue.

The concept of health food has become a rage today. However it was in the 1960's and the 1970's that the concept started to become popular. Since then, there has been an ever-increasing awareness about the need to eat well. Plus there has been more and more information on the negative impact of a wrong diet. This has made people conscious about the need of healthy food habits.

A healthy eating plan should constitute the following.

Grains: Eat a lot of whole grains, like 100% wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal.

4- to 8-year-olds needs 4 to 5 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 5-ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 6-ounce equivalents each day.

Vegetables: Vegetables are very important to the body.

4- to 8-year-olds needs 1 1/2 cups of veggies each day.
9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of veggies each day.
9- to 13-year-old boys need 2 1/2 cups of veggies each day.

Milk: Milk has a lot of calcium that helps build strong bones. However there are people who find it difficult to digest milk. They can try out yogurt, cheese or calcium-fortified orange juice.

Meat, Fish and Nuts: You will get a lot of iron and other important nutrients in this group. So always either meat or fish in your daily diet. If you are a vege, you can still eat nuts, beans and other such items.

Fruit: Never forget to eat some fruits daily. They are very good for your health.

If you thought that food supplements did an excellent job, you could not have been further from the truth. Supplements can never substitute the real thing.