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

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 You Eat section, you'll find eight key tips for eating right, plus our bottom line recommendations on carbohydrates, protein, fats, fiber, vegetables and fruits, calcium and milk, alcohol, and vitamins. You can also learn more about a food pyramid that's actually based on the latest science: the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. 

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.

Fish and Your Health: Friend or Foe?

Fish is an important part of a healthy diet. But fears of contaminants make many people unnecessarily shy away from eating it. Read about the health benefits of fish and the controversy over mercury and PCBs in fish.

Balancing Alcohol's Benefits and Risks

Moderate drinking can have some health benefits, but not for everyone. Read our five quick tips for staying healthy with alcohol, or our more in-depth article about how to weigh alcohol's benefits and risks.

How to Get to Your Healthy Weight

Read five quick tips for achieving a healthy weight, or our interview with Dr. Walter Willett, chair of the Dept. of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, about weight control and health.