[bdbenton5255]

I personally prefer an animal-based diet revolving around meat and milk. It is conducive to strength training and fits my taste buds, but I always incorporate fruits and vegetables to secure vitamins and minerals.

The essential nutrients that your body needs are carbohydrates, protein, lipids, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. The first three are macronutrients, providing most of your body's energy in the form of calories.

Traditional diets incorporate all of these nutrients naturally, as human beings formed traditional diets by sourcing needed nutrients from the surrounding environment. Before industrialization, humanity subsisted on these diets, and if you look far back enough you will find these foodways in your ancestral culture.

Industrialization provides us the luxury of choice in our diets, but it also leaves many displaced and confused as to choosing a diet. You will find that traditional dishes naturally incorporate all of our necessary nutrients. A good rule of thumb when building healthy meals is this:

Carb + protein + vitamins/minerals

Such as:

Rice + beans + tomato + onions

Potatoes + steak + green beans + milk

And so on.

The carbohydrates and proteins will provide the bulk of your calories and the feeling of "fullness" while the sources of vitamins and minerals will complete your diet.

A good metaphor is to think of the human body like a car that needs gasoline and oil primarily as well as some additional fluids to run optimally. A balanced diet will help you feel better physically and psychologically.

Whether you choose to source protein from plants or animals is entirely up to your discretion in this industrialized age, while it was previously a result of an agricultural or pastoral means of subsistence.

[ericmcer]

you should probably give the article a read, my main takeaway from your post is that people love to talk about what they eat. I will remember it next time I have an awkward pause when conversing with a stranger.

[bdbenton5255]

I read what he wrote, I just disagree with it. Nutrition is not really so simple and this information is both useful and objectively true. It is also relevant to the subject being discussed. I think the author has an overly simplistic and misinformed view of nutrition, so I am providing useful and relevant information.

[andrewla]

> The essential nutrients that your body needs are

The article has an extensive discussion as to why this way of phrasing the problem is not only meaningless but actively harmful.

That's not to say your diet is necessarily bad; frankly by adhering to his "eat food, not too much" you're 2/3 of the way to what Pollan recommends. You're only missing "mostly plants", but you're doing better from his rubric than a diet consisting of mostly processed food products.

[bdbenton5255]

Right, I just disagree with the author as nutrition is more complex than what he posited. Following his advice, you will not acquire sufficient nutrients to do things like build muscle.