Most people are trying to start eating healthy but there are so many different diets that it can be hard to get the right information about what healthy eating really is. The fact is eating healthy is nothing more than a balanced diet of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy (milk), and lean meats/proteins.
Grains
With grains you goal is to consume about 6 ounces per day. You can eat whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or even pasta. There is about an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread or one cup of cereal equals about a once of grains as well. With grains try and shot for whole grain since it has the higher nutritional values.
Vegetables
Your goal with vegetables is 2 ½ cups per day. They should be varied ( don’t eat just one type) it’s best to start with dark green veggies such as broccoli and spinach they tend to have the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals. Root vegetables would be next carrots and potatoes. This may seem hard when you first start eating healthy but it is easier then it seems. The easiest way to make sure that you are getting all the veggies that you need is that one of your daily snacks be veggies.
Fruits
Fruit is very important and often left out of healthy diets. We should be getting 2 cups of fruit a day. Like vegetables variety is important as well. Mix thing up a little bit. You can drink fruit juices as well, but not all can come from juice. This is a main source of fiber as well as vitamins and you do not get the fiber from the juice.
Dairy/Milk
With dairy/milk products we are mainly looking to get calcium. The goal is 3 cups of dairy product in a day. This can come from milk, yogurt, and cheese you should go with fat-free or low-fat. For those that do not like milk or can’t have dairy products, there are lactose free products or you can go with other sources of food and beverages that are fortified with calcium.
Lean Meats/Proteins
The goal each day is only 5 ounces of lean protein which is a lot less than most of eat in a single meal. Protein can come from any meat product, fish, beans, nuts and tofu/soy products. We should also limit the amount of grease that we add to the meat when we cook it.
Solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard should be used only on a limited basis in our cooking. They may add flavor to the dishes, they also raise our saturated fat and cholesterol intake as well. Try and keep these to a very small amount in your diet.
Reading the nutritional fact labels is a great way to not only keep your saturated fat intake in check but your sodium levels as well. The label can be found on the back of most food products.
By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat, you’ll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years – even help you and your health in the long run as well.
