Overview All meals and snacks provide an opportunity for you to enhance your nutritional wellness. Although no one diet or set of "rules" suits everyone, applying basic, healthy guidelines to your lifestyle can help ensure that your nutrient needs are met. Aim for a balanced diet based on healthy foods, and use moderation when it comes to sweets and other low-nutrient foods. To learn specific ways to improve your diet, seek guidance from a qualified professional. Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables are prime sources of antioxidants such as lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamin C, which support your body's ability to resist and heal from infections and disease. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is linked with a range of benefits, including improved weight control, cardiovascular health and healthy skin, most Ghanaians don’t include them in their meals. In an "O, the Oprah Magazine" article published in August 2009, Dr. David Katz, a board-certified specialist in internal and preventive medicine and associate professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, suggested filling half of your cereal bowl with fruit and half of your lunch and dinner plates with fruit or vegetables. Doing so can help ensure proper nutrient intake and reduce your fat and caloric intake by leaving less room on your plate for denser foods. Healthy Breakfast Eating a nutritious, balanced breakfast increases your likelihood of consuming more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. It also enhances weight control, boosts your ability to concentrate and remain productive throughout the morning, and might lower your cholesterol, reducing your risk for heart disease. Ideal components of a healthy breakfast include whole grain foods, such as oatmeal or whole grain toast; lean protein sources, such as egg whites, low-fat milk or yogurt; healthy fat sources, such as nuts, seeds or avocado; and fresh fruits or vegetables. Whole Grains Many Ghanaians consume, probably, less than one serving of whole grains per day -- an amount well below the daily recommended minimum of three 1 oz. servings per day. While a diet rich in refined foods, such as white bread, sugary sweets and low-fiber cereals, can lead to poor nutrient and fiber intake, constipation and weight gain, emphasizing whole grains is associated with a healthy weight, cholesterol levels, blood sugar health and immune function. When purchasing breads, cereals, rice and pasta, check ingredient lists to ensure that whole grains are listed as primary ingredients. Lengthy Ingredient Lists Natural, nutrient-dense foods, such as spinach, blueberries and brown rice, contain only one ingredient. Foods that tout lengthy ingredient lists often contain more salt, sugar, artificial flavors and "unhealthy stuff," according to Katz. For improved wellness, seek out natural foods and prepared foods that boast short ingredient lists featuring recognizable foods, rather than ingredients that sound like chemicals. Nutritious breads, for example, might contain whole wheat, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk, baker's yeast, salt and oil. Healthy nut butters contain nuts only or nuts and a bit of salt or sugar. Healthy Fats Unlike essential fats, which are prevalent in nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils, reaping saturated and trans-fats from your diet is not necessary. Saturated and trans-fats are considered unhealthy because they can damage your cholesterol levels and contribute to serious conditions, such as heart disease. Limiting unhealthy fats and emphasizing healthy fats, on the other hand, can improve your cardiovascular health, according to the American Heart Association. Healthy fats are also linked with positive brain function, skin health and moods. To ensure these benefits, limit unhealthy fat sources, such as red and processed meats, high-fat dairy products, commercial foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil and fried foods, and instead consume moderate amounts of healthy fats. Particularly nutritious sources include mackerel, salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, almonds, canola oil and avocados.