Every time I watch the news or read a newspaper, it seems that another study says that foods that we thought were good for us aren't or foods we were told to stay away from are now okay to eat. How can someone decide what makes up a healthy diet?

It does seem that we are often told that we can eat one food, only to be told later that maybe it's not so good for us. To get such messages can be confusing and concerning.

For the most part though, it's a common sense approach to diet that is best. While it doesn't hurt to consume products we're told will have added benefit, a healthy well-rounded diet is the best way to go.

To follow a good diet, it would help to get a copy of the American Dietary Guidelines. You could ask your doctor or you can access it on the web by going to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website at www.health.gov. These guidelines will tell you what types of food and how much you should consume, according to your body's needs. For example, a pregnant woman would need more nutrients than a man the same age. In general, you need a good mix of dairy products; fruit and vegetables; meat, fish, poultry and legumes; and bread products or grains. It's important not to over or under eat and to limit consumption of processed, high sugar and high sodium foods.