The Nutrition Source

Knowledge for Healthy Eating

Welcome to The Nutrition Source, a Web site maintained by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Enlarge this image | Learn about the new Healthy Eating Plate

Aside from not smoking, the most important determinants of good health are what we eat and how active we are. The Nutrition Source is designed to get you started down the path toward the healthiest diet possible.

In the What Should I Eat section, you'll find ten key tips for eating right, plus our bottom line recommendations on carbohydrates, protein, fats, fiber, vegetables and fruits, calcium and milk, healthy drinks, lower salt and sodium, alcohol, and vitamins. You can also learn more about a food pyramid and plate that are actually based on the latest science: the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and its new companion, the Healthy Eating Plate, built in conjunction with colleagues at Harvard Health Publications.

A lot of confusing information about nutrition gets batted about in the media and on the Web. The Nutrition Source will cut through all that confusion, providing clear tips for healthy eating and dispelling a few nutrition myths along the way.

New Site: The Obesity Prevention Source

What is causing the obesity epidemic—and how can we stop and reverse our worldwide weight problem? Find answers at The Obesity Prevention Source, a new website from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.

Vegetarian Recipes for a Healthy Eating Plate

Cookbook author Mollie Katzen and Harvard University Dining Services have cooked up a meatless version of Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate. Try these new vegetarian recipes.

Red Meat Increases Mortality Risk

A new study from Harvard School of Public Health finds that eating red meat is associated with an increased risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, or any cause—and that substituting other healthy protein sources for red meat could lower that risk.

• Read more: Press release | Five quick tips for choosing healthy protein foods
• Healthy protein recipes: Fish | Poultry | Nuts, Beans, Tofu

Healthy Proteins on the Healthy Eating Plate

The Healthy Eating Plate emphasizes choosing healthy sources of protein—from fish, poultry, beans, and nuts—and limiting red and processed meat. Learn how to make the new Healthy Eating Plate your blueprint for a healthy meal:

• Download: Healthy Eating Plate (PDF)
• Compare: Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA's MyPlate
• Quick tips: Following the Healthy Eating Plate and Pyramid
• In-depth: Healthy Eating Plate, Healthy Eating Pyramid
• Questions: Answers to common questions about the Healthy Eating Plate