Seasoned business executive Hassam Khan concurrently serves a transit retail business, organic supermarket, and Staten Island-based gourmet deli as director, and a real estate division as property manager. Hassam Khan is also a health and wellness enthusiast, and an avid consumer of healthy foods and drinks from Staten Island and surrounding locations.

For a diet to be classified as healthy, it must have several food groups in balanced quantities, because no single food group can provide all the nutrients the body needs. To have a healthy diet, appropriate quantities of food — determined by factors such as activity level, gender, and age — must be chosen from the five main groups of food.

1. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also good sources of fiber. According to the American Heart Association, at least eight servings of vegetables and fruits of constitutes a healthy daily intake, and can prevent cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

2. A healthy diet includes wholemeal (containing both germ and bran) cereals, pasta, and bread.

3. Dairy is an excellent source of calcium for healthy teeth and bones. For a healthy intake of dairy, the most recommended calcium-rich foods are cheese, yogurt, and low-fat milk.

4. Protein is important for repair of tissues. Protein-rich foods have high levels of essential minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. Protein-rich foods include eggs, fish, and meat.

5. Fats are necessary for energy, for brain health, for the absorption of certain vitamins, and for healthy skin, hair, and joints. Unsaturated fats are found in oily fish and avocado. Saturated fats are found in fried foods, fatty meat, and cream. Healthy fats should be less than three-tenths of total calories.