A healthy diet should include foods from the four main food groups. One of the best ways to lose weight is to follow the food pyramid and eat the suggested servings of each food group for your age. This method of healthy eating does require planning and you need to have a copy of the food pyramid in front of you as you plan your menu for the week. Planning a weekly menu is a good way to get started and once you do this for several weeks, the kinds and amounts of foods that you should be eating will soon become clear to you.

Although junk food is a no-no when you are on a diet, many people who do eat healthy foods still indulge in their favorite snacks from time to time. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself from time to time as long as you don't make it a practice or overindulge. There are also differences in what vegetarians term "healthy foods", so if you don't eat meat, it does mean that you exclude all animal proteins from your diet. Proteins are essential nutrients that vegetarians might be at risk of not getting unless they pay particular attention to their foods.