Usually, when we think about nutrition, we think about weight loss. But that’s only part of it.

What about vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants? The trick is balancing out how much we eat, with what we eat.

Fad diets usually only focus on the weight management piece. For example, some diets suggest cutting out all carbohydrate foods. The problem isn’t the carbohydrates themselves — it’s the amount of carbohydrates.

Or, how about a diet that recommends only eating cereal for breakfast and lunch along with a sensible dinner.

This doesn’t allow enough room to fit in all the nutrients you need from the other food groups.

Also, it’s hard to eat sensibly when you’re ravenous after only eating two bowls of cereal all day!

Yes, as a society, we do need to work on maintaining a healthy weight and this can be done with portion control. Unfortunately, portion control is something that our culture is not very good at.

We are so skewed from what a normal portion is supposed to look like — when was the last time you got a 12-ounce can of pop from the vending machine? And we like to get more for our money. We love king size candy bars, buffets and large oval platters rather than regular, circular plates full of food.

However, we also need to think about a dietary intake that includes heart healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, high fiber foods, whole grains and lean proteins.

If we eat healthy and watch our portion sizes then we can have room for dessert or something fried — occasionally and in moderation, of course!

March was National Nutrition Month but it’s always a good time to think about eating healthier.