try whfoods.com. Okay, perhaps you're here because you're not even sure where to begin! That's okay! We all start somewhere. Please help me learn more about proper nutrition by adding anything you want to this advice. This is the advice I try to give myself in eating well.
FIXING YOUR DIET IS GOING TO REQUIRE SOME HOMEWORK! :) YOU CAN DO IT. YOU DESERVE IT
Personally, I fell off the wagon for a few years, and neglected my diet and body. Right now, I'm in the midst of a dietary transformation. You can come along for the ride, too!
So to this end, I did some research. What I found in my research (at whfoods, not sure if this is a fantastic source of data - can anyone clear up whether it is or not?!) is that to have a diet that is rich in everything a person needs - without supplementing their diet with vitamin pills (which you really shouldn't) - they must eat many different vegetables and meats (or nuts and grains to substitute for the meat if you're a vegetarian and confirmed not allergic to the aformentioned replacements), along with certain grains like brown rice and steel-cut oatmeal, in order to achieve optimal nutrition.
First, I began my journey by watching this documentary - it can be found by clicking here. If you haven't a clue about how to eat right, you really should begin by watching it. - direct link is here: http://www.pbs.org/show/in-defense-of-food/
At whfoods, I began clicking around for about an hour off of this page, and found it to be a good second step in informing myself in proper nutrition. Here, you can click each link (with a vitamin/mineral/protein, etc. title), and get a good idea of which foods are high in your selected category. Direct link to WHfoods nutrient list: http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php
Try going through each category, from A-zinc, and note which foods high in each category you like eating, or are willing to try - note: some people present with severe allergies to foods. Some of the foods most likely to cause allergic reactions are milk, nuts, shellfish, and various seeds. Before trying any food you are uncertain of (in its reactivity to you personally, or with anyone with whom you live), consult with a physician who can safely conduct allergy testing. Some reactions, even fatal ones, can be triggered by airborne vapors caused by cooking alone. Therefore, be mindful of those you live with when trying new foods. Better to be safe than sorry.
Three suggestions for improving the quality of your diet, bearing in mind a respect of potential allergenicity in trying ANYTHING new! - experts, please don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong :)
Try swapping in baked cod, without any added fats or breading, and swapping out a dish dominated by red meat. Brown rice and a few veggies you can tolerate go great with cod. Some like a squeeze of lemon on their cod, too.
Sardines are an excellent source of nutrition, and healthy omega-3 fats, which our western diet is lacking. Try eating more of these, and swapping out greasy fast food in their favor. A squeeze of lemon might help make them slightly more palatable to newcomers. Try buying the ones that keep ingredients simple - INGREDIENTS: SARDINES, WATER, SALT - etc. This can help you avoid flavorings and fat the food industry can add to enhance flavor (sales), at the peril of human health and happiness.
Try adding more spinach and swiss chard to your diet. Both are nutritional powerhouses. Spinach came up so many times in my research that both it and sardines really stuck out as major nutritional players in the quest for better nutrition.
Third - my research told me that eating a variety of vegetables and certain fruits is vital in attaining optimal nutrition. In total, I wrote down approximately 18 different vegetables and fruits (vegetables primarily, and some fruits, mainly for their flavonoid and other nutritional content). Buy a variety of vegetables and fruit in addition to your staple foods like brown rice, oatmeal, and fish/chicken - and remember to not buy too much! You should be shopping for food once a week, and you really can do a lot with a little.
You can freeze what doesn't last a week in the freezer. Half a handful of green beans and another half a handful of spinach makes 1 vegetable serving that you can easily rinse well (to remove any pesticides - those silly things) and add to a pot of boiling rice/water. You can do the same with a mushroom, or any fungi/vegetable - really.
Changing our diets, and breaking our addition to sugar and unhealthy fats (WE NEED FAT - JUST THE RIGHT KIND OF FAT) can be hard. But once we make it a habit, and feel the benefits in our bodies and minds, it becomes a hard habit to break. I've found that meditation and introspection can help me break these poor habits.
Finally: How do YOU incorporate the variety of vegetables into your diet necessary to achieve optimal health? Lately, I've been chopping up a handful of this, and a handful of that and mixing it in with my rice, or throwing it atop some salad. You can be very creative and make some very beautiful creations that also aide in the healthy eating process. Food should be an experience as much as it is an end in nutrition and health.