Peanut butter is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It also contains protein and fiber, and tastes delicious spread onto apple slices or whole-wheat toast.

You may have trouble passing up fast food meals, but not eating at the drive-thru has its advantages. Avoiding the poor diet of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods allows you to cut calories and increase your nutritional profile.

Carbohydrates play a dominant role in your diet and health, but some carbs provide more health benefits than others. For example, whole-grain bread is a better choice than refined white bread. Nutritious carbohydrate foods provide a rich source of fiber, since fiber itself is a form of carbohydrate.

Both apple cider vinegar and honey have their own special health-benefiting qualities, and combining the two can offer a double dose of protection. Studies indicate these ingredients can help reduce inflammation, combat infection, ease digestive woes and ward off acid reflux.

It’s tough to define healthy diet foods, partly because any good diet allows for some treats in moderation. While frozen yogurt is healthier than full-fat ice cream, that doesn't necessarily make it a nutritious food great for weight loss.

A blood pH level that's too acidic can throw the entire body out of whack, potentially leading to muscle loss, chronic back pain, bone loss, high blood pressure and stroke, according to a review published in Journal of Environmental and Public Health in October 2011.

Hot sauce -- whether it's a classic vinegar-based sauce made with cayenne peppers or a more exotic blend containing habaneros and fruit -- adds pizzazz to your meal.

What you eat before bed can influence your ability to sleep and your wellness in positive and negative ways. According to the National Institutes of Health, eating large, high-fat meals or drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages before bed can cause discomfort and interfere with a good night's sleep.

The best diet is the one that you can stick to, but finding that diet can take some effort and experimentation. The Zone diet is a low glycemic-index diet, which means that it includes mainly foods that don't cause large spikes in your blood sugar levels. The founder of the diet, Dr.

Green and black teas both contain compounds that may slightly boost weight loss, and scientists have yet to conduct a major trial that confirms a clear winner. No matter what you drink, however, the best way to lose weight is to eat a sensible diet and get plenty of exercise.

Bananas contain fiber and resistant starch, which support weight loss. They’re also a nutritious, low-energy-density food, which is good for dropping pounds. And they don't live up to their once bad reputation of being a diet-wrecking fruit to avoid. But whether they’re good for weight loss comes down to calories.

There's no quick fix to get a flat stomach -- it takes hard work and patience and no plan specifically targets stomach fat, notes Gina Neill, a clinical dietitian at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, in an article from "Men's Fitness."