Nutrition: Healthy Food Choices
Why is healthy eating important?
When combined with exercise, a healthy diet can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol level and improve the way your body functions on a daily basis.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) Food Pyramid divides food into 5 basic food groups: grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats and fats. The USDA recommends that you have the following number of servings from each of the main food groups every day:
- Grains (6-11 servings)
- Fruits and Vegetables (5-7 servings)
- Dairy (2-3 servings for men and 3-4 servings for women)
- Meats (2-3 servings)
- Fats, Oils and Sweets (use sparingly)
GRAINS
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INSTEAD OF THIS:
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TRY THIS:
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Croissant, biscuits and white breads and rolls
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Low-fat whole grain breads and rolls (wheat, rye, pumpernickel)
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Doughnuts, pastries, scones
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English muffins, small whole grain bagels
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Fried tortillas
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Soft tortillas (corn or whole wheat), pita bread
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Sugar cereals and regular granola
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Oatmeal, low-fat granola, whole-grain cereal
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Snack crackers
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Crackers (animal, graham, rye, soda, saltine, oyster)
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Potato or corn chips, buttered popcorn
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Pretzels (unsalted), popcorn (unbuttered)
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Fried rice or pasta and rice mixes that contain high-fat sauces
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Rice or pasta (without egg yolk) with vegetable sauces
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French fries, hash browns, potato chips
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Baked, mashed, boiled potatoes
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VEGETABLES
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INSTEAD OF THIS:
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TRY THIS:
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Fried vegetables or vegetables served with cream, cheese or butter sauces
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All vegetables raw, steamed, broiled, baked or tossed with a very small amount of olive oil
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FATS, OILS & SWEETS
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INSTEAD OF THIS:
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TRY THIS:
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Cookies
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Fig bars, ginger snaps, molasses cookies
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Shortening, butter or margarine
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Olive, vegetable or canola oils
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Regular mayonnaise
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Nonfat or light mayonnaise
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Regular salad dressing
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Nonfat or light salad dressing
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Using fat (including butter) to grease pan
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Nonstick cooking spray
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Other Organizations
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid
http://mypyramid.gov/
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