Summary
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy items
- Lean proteins and eggs
- Healthy fats
How much thought do you put into your nutrition? What you eat and drink affects your energy and comfort. It also affects your risk of developing certain diseases.
Aim for variety
How do you choose a healthy eating plan? Try to include foods that the most popular dietary guidelines have in common. These include the USDA MyPlate guide, the Mediterranean Pyramid, and the Mayo Clinic Diet. Be sure to limit sugar, salt, saturated fat, and processed foods. Your diet should include:
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lean meats, legumes and eggs
- Healthy fats from nuts and plant oils
Aim not only for a variety of kinds of foods, but also colors. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas:
- Toss a handful of blueberries on your breakfast cereal.
- Add roasted red peppers and fresh spinach to your sandwich at lunch.
- Snack on carrot sticks, cauliflower, oranges, or grapes.
- Bake a sweet potato to have at dinner with steamed broccoli
- Try whole grain pasta topped with sautéed yellow peppers.
Watch portion sizes
Confused about portions? Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. One-fourth should be protein. This includes meat, eggs, and legumes. Fill the other fourth with grains, like whole-wheat bread and pasta. If you want seconds, allow yourself another plate filled with vegetables and fruit only.
Watch what you drink
Choose water whenever possible. Low-fat milk, soymilk, and orange juice will cover some healthy food categories. Avoid sugary juices and sodas. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Be realistic
Ideally, you would only eat when you are hungry. You would never overeat. And you would avoid junk food. Normal eating means that you sometimes eat when you aren’t hungry. Or sometimes eat too much. It’s normal to sometimes eat something junky just because it tastes good. Or maybe because it comforts you. Give yourself room to be human. Allow yourself treats, even junky ones, every once in a while.
Any effort to build your meals around healthy foods can improve your health.
Summary
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy items
- Lean proteins and eggs
- Healthy fats
How much thought do you put into your nutrition? What you eat and drink affects your energy and comfort. It also affects your risk of developing certain diseases.
Aim for variety
How do you choose a healthy eating plan? Try to include foods that the most popular dietary guidelines have in common. These include the USDA MyPlate guide, the Mediterranean Pyramid, and the Mayo Clinic Diet. Be sure to limit sugar, salt, saturated fat, and processed foods. Your diet should include:
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lean meats, legumes and eggs
- Healthy fats from nuts and plant oils
Aim not only for a variety of kinds of foods, but also colors. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas:
- Toss a handful of blueberries on your breakfast cereal.
- Add roasted red peppers and fresh spinach to your sandwich at lunch.
- Snack on carrot sticks, cauliflower, oranges, or grapes.
- Bake a sweet potato to have at dinner with steamed broccoli
- Try whole grain pasta topped with sautéed yellow peppers.
Watch portion sizes
Confused about portions? Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. One-fourth should be protein. This includes meat, eggs, and legumes. Fill the other fourth with grains, like whole-wheat bread and pasta. If you want seconds, allow yourself another plate filled with vegetables and fruit only.
Watch what you drink
Choose water whenever possible. Low-fat milk, soymilk, and orange juice will cover some healthy food categories. Avoid sugary juices and sodas. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Be realistic
Ideally, you would only eat when you are hungry. You would never overeat. And you would avoid junk food. Normal eating means that you sometimes eat when you aren’t hungry. Or sometimes eat too much. It’s normal to sometimes eat something junky just because it tastes good. Or maybe because it comforts you. Give yourself room to be human. Allow yourself treats, even junky ones, every once in a while.
Any effort to build your meals around healthy foods can improve your health.
Summary
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy items
- Lean proteins and eggs
- Healthy fats
How much thought do you put into your nutrition? What you eat and drink affects your energy and comfort. It also affects your risk of developing certain diseases.
Aim for variety
How do you choose a healthy eating plan? Try to include foods that the most popular dietary guidelines have in common. These include the USDA MyPlate guide, the Mediterranean Pyramid, and the Mayo Clinic Diet. Be sure to limit sugar, salt, saturated fat, and processed foods. Your diet should include:
- Whole grains
- Vegetables and fruits
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lean meats, legumes and eggs
- Healthy fats from nuts and plant oils
Aim not only for a variety of kinds of foods, but also colors. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas:
- Toss a handful of blueberries on your breakfast cereal.
- Add roasted red peppers and fresh spinach to your sandwich at lunch.
- Snack on carrot sticks, cauliflower, oranges, or grapes.
- Bake a sweet potato to have at dinner with steamed broccoli
- Try whole grain pasta topped with sautéed yellow peppers.
Watch portion sizes
Confused about portions? Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. One-fourth should be protein. This includes meat, eggs, and legumes. Fill the other fourth with grains, like whole-wheat bread and pasta. If you want seconds, allow yourself another plate filled with vegetables and fruit only.
Watch what you drink
Choose water whenever possible. Low-fat milk, soymilk, and orange juice will cover some healthy food categories. Avoid sugary juices and sodas. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Be realistic
Ideally, you would only eat when you are hungry. You would never overeat. And you would avoid junk food. Normal eating means that you sometimes eat when you aren’t hungry. Or sometimes eat too much. It’s normal to sometimes eat something junky just because it tastes good. Or maybe because it comforts you. Give yourself room to be human. Allow yourself treats, even junky ones, every once in a while.
Any effort to build your meals around healthy foods can improve your health.