What is a healthy diet?

When my husband was diagnosed with MCI then dementia, his doctors suggested he start the Mediterranean Diet. Simply put, avoid processed food and shop for fresh fruit and veg whenever possible. Half your plate should be fruit/veg, one quarter lean protein and one quarter whole grains (with minimum 3 grams fiber per serving).
We have a local group that hosts smart shopping tours at our local grocery store to guide folks regarding making healthy choices.
Good luck!

@judimahoney , I try my best to eat that way. I do most of the time. I stopped the white sugar and now use Monk Fruit sweetener. Not sure it’s any better, but so far I like it. I only use a bit in my coffee.

I am a Type 2 diabetic since 1991. My personal experience is that I am more sensitive to fats than sugar. About 15 years ago my Endocrinologist suggested I get a book--Dr Bonner's "Program to reverse Diabetes". The program is to adopt a Vegan Diet: No Animal fats or protein which means no beef, pork, chicken, duck, fish, eggs, or dairy products. Cheese was one of my favorite foods. Meat was easy to give up compared to cheese. Especially at today's prices. Some restaurants are easy to get vegan options others are almost impossible. Within one month of going Vegan, my wife was back to normal from being Pre-Diabetic and my insulin had grown to fifty units per day dropped to 10! My A1C went to 7.0 from 8.6. I also stopped using sugar in my coffee, tea, and my morning cereal. (Note about cereal: I did some research about serving sizes. The FDA determines them by observing what people eat not what they should eat! I discovered that one ounce of unsweetened cereal will be 28 grams of carbs. It doesn't matter what the cereal is--cheerios, grape nuts, grape nut flakes, shredded wheat, various chex cereals, even puffed wheat and rice although you end with half an ounce serving with only 14 grams of carbs.

Later, I found the Herbivorous Butcher Shop in Minneapolis. They make cheeses based on soy and almond milk which meet my cheese craving. They also make meat substitutes from processed vegs. Their Smoke House, Barbeque Koran, and Hi-hi Hawaiian Ribs are tasty! They are in 12 ounce packages which is four servings. Three restaurants in Rochester use their products. They ship anywhere in the USA. See their web site.

I am 83, widower, and my second daughter is my care taker. She was already here in 2013 to take care of her mother who had ALS and died August 27, 2015. I also lost more 1/4 body weight by using Trulicity and Ozempic for a total of 30 Kilograms (66 Pounds) lost 2 sizes and got the opportunity to buy new clothes! (It is embarrassing to have your underwear fall down!

@rollingf
I am not medically trained in anything, but your post was interesting. Additionally I do not have diabetes. However I am interested in controlling my weight so I do not get diabetes. In general I am against "diets." My reasoning is that it is an unnatural way to eat. Perhaps that is why most diets fail. It is easier to work with the way you eat. I had a long appointment with a nutritionist. He told me I ate healthy, but ate too much. He gave me pictures of what a portion looks like. I have been trying to follow his suggestions and so far have lost 20 lbs. It has been slow. But I am able to adapt what I like to eat to smaller portions. My doctor is happy. I should add that I am 91 years old and still live alone and take care of myself. So I am doing something right.

People of the USA (America is more than the USA, it refers to the entire Western Hemisphere. North, Central, and South America is all America.) are overweight because we eat too much food. Most of what we is good for us if we consume the correct amount. I believe we over eat because of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Too many people had barely enough food and once the Depression was over, vowed to never be hungry again in their life. They passed that promise onto their children.

Restaurants have met that desire bu serving too much food. The proper serving of meat is three ounces. Most restaurants serve 12 ounces--four times the right weight. The same holds for the vegetables and potatoes!

@thisismarilynb
Fantastic
Definitely the best advice,reduce the portion size.
God bless you with more healthy years

Basically, I live alone. I have a Black Lab Care dog and one of my daughters lives nearby with her husband. I follow a Vegan diet. I have four glass bowls with lids. I make four meals at a time. It takes five minutes to heat a bowl. Sometimes I think I have put too much in the bowl. I usually start with a Valdaya onion, quarter it and dice it. Then I heat up a one pound container of small potatoes (nuc for 5 minutes) and put 4 ounces in each bowl. (I have tried the three pound bag of pots but they get old in less than three weeks and it is easier to only use 3 ounces.) I usually add one bag of legumes (12 ounce bag), green beans, sugar snap peas, or the flat peas), oe 8 ounce box of white mushrooms (I like the mushrooms, some people don't.) and some kind of fake (plant only) meat. (Most packages are 12 ounces gives four servings.) Just before I heat the dish, I add some liquid spice/sauce and other spices (Lemon & Pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dill weed) then heat for five minutes in the microwave. In short, I consume about 12 ounces of food (plants--veges and fruit). I also may make a fresh tossed salad with Romaine Lettuce, a small tomato, cucumber, radishes, maybe a turnip, or something tasty for the salad black olives, artichoke hearts 1/4, or pickle slices. Balsamic vinegar, and the same spices.