This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about how you can improve your diet so you get adequate amounts of vital nutrients. One challenge you may face when you try to plan a nutritious diet is that many of the important nutrients aren’t listed on food labels — or else they come in foods that usually aren’t labeled because they’re not packaged or processed.

One way to plan a nutritious diet is to look at the food pyramid to see how many servings you need from each group. Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says an easy way to be sure you’re filling most of your nutritional gaps is to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That will provide you with plenty of vitamins and fiber. Aim to fill half your plate at most meals with fruits and vegetables.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/patientcare/medicalservices/nutrition.html to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in nutrition.