Top Toolbar

 

Food Choices

Eating a balanced diet helps keep your body functioning at its best.

  • Eat more fruits and vegetables.
    • It’s good to have a lot of colorful food on your plate, both for visual appeal and for your health. Dark leafy greens and orange fruits and vegetables contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.
  • Avoid high-fat, high-caloric snack foods.
    • Always read labels! If a food is high in fat and calories and lacks nutritional value, it might be worth avoiding.
    • If you have a favorite snack food that you just can’t give up completely, think about limiting the portion size.
  • Eat whole grains.
    • Whole grain products such as brown rice, whole wheat, oats, barley, flax seed, and bran help to keep you full and lower cholesterol.
  • Substitute for low-fat dairy products.
    • You can still get lots of vitamins and minerals by using low-fat dairy products, but you will reduce your intake of the fat that is linked to heart disease.
  • Think about how you select and cook your food.
    • If possible, choose baked, broiled, or grilled meats, poultry, and fish over fried ones.
  • Consider meatless meals.
    • Dried beans provide protein and are high in fiber and low in fat. They can be prepared in a number of ways to be a part of a great meatless meal.

A healthy diet doesn’t mean depriving yourself of all foods that taste good. For more information on healthy eating, go to Tips for Healthy Eating.

You can also visit www.choosemyplate.gov for an online healthy eating tool.