I try to eat “whole foods”, which I’ve heard defined different ways.   To some people that means that it is a food found in nature as it is.  I like the definition that a whole food is a food that contains carbohydrates, fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals.  If most of the foods you eat have all of these, you are in pretty good shape.  

Foods like animal protein don’t generally fit the bill because of the lack of carbohydrates and vitamins.  However, since this is a “natural food”, some include it in the definition. 

People who are watching their diet, however, tend to want to piece these elements together.  Nutritionists write of eating proteins and carbohydrates together for balance.  Foods already have their own balance, however.  You can get a good deal of protein out of eating broccoli, for instance, and it will be in balance with the carbs and the vitamins, minerals, and fat found in the food.  In fact, if you look at most vegetables, you get a pretty good idea of what the natural and optimal balance between all five nutrient categories  are.