Everyone is thinking about diet this time of year. Time to think about bathing suit weather. To have a healthy diet, consume your food from the four basic food groups. Think about eating them in proper proportions and you will lose weight. If you are an average person, not too large or too small, you will most likely consume about 2000-2500 calories a day. The best proportions are 50% of your calories will be carbohydrates, 30% will come from fat (some fat is good for you) and 20% will come from lean proteins.

Everyone has heard about carbohydrates. But they are not all bad. Carbs are your main source of energy. From simple sugars like glucose and fructose, that rapidly break down in your system. Your body starts processing sugar minutes after you eat it. It is complex carbs you want to have in your diet. Starches, like a nice potato, take longer to break down and are healthy in moderation.

Proteins are lysed (split) to make amino acids, that are then recombined to form proteins used in muscles and other structures.Fats are chemically similar to carbohydrates, and contain fatty acids essential to health.

Meat is normally your main source of protein. Consider consuming about 3 ounces per meal. This amount is about right for the average sized person. Then complement it with a cup of pasta, which is a good source of carbohydrates. Add two cups of leafy green vegetables that will supply your fiber, minerals and vitamins.

A balanced meal can be made up of a serving of meat or other protein source, starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, corn or potatoes, and fruit. Easy on the butter or margarine, go light on cheese, sauces and anything high in sugar or fat.

Fat contains nine calories per gram, which is double than other energy sources. Thus, you need to keep those foods high in fat down to modest levels. That also helps control cholesterol levels.

All sources of carbohydrates have four calories per gram. But healthy sources also contain needed minerals, vitamins and fiber. Some examples are fruits (apples, pears, peaches), nuts (walnuts are lower in fat than peanuts or cashews, for example) and grains (for fiber and minerals).

If you are watching your weight than candy is not the best choice for you. If you want to consume this sort of treat, then you must only eat very modest portions. I have a bag of small individually wrapped candy bars in my drawer and eat one, at the most two per day. Since candy is considerably high in fat and sugar, its biggest drawback is that it also is lower in helpful nutrients. So they provide enormous calories and few other beneficial nutrients.

Making a list of items you consume will show you the relative amounts of helpful nutrients - and how many calories each contains. Putting a little arithmetic into your diet plan will help you reduce the number you obsess over - your weight.