Choosing a healthy diet can seem overwhelming, especially with all the different nutrition and diet advice out there. The key is to focus on a healthy overall dietary pattern rather than one specific food or nutrient.
Eating well helps prevent weight gain, reduces your risk for chronic (long-term) health conditions and promotes mental alertness and emotional well-being. It also can help control blood cholesterol and blood pressure, maintain healthy eyesight and bone density, manage your blood sugar, reduce the risk of heart disease and more.
The best foods to eat are whole grains, lean meats and poultry, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. It is also important to hydrate with water, limit alcohol, and cut down on sugary drinks.
Healthy eating is not only good for your body, but it can also be fun! Try new recipes or rework old favorites to add variety and excitement to your meals. In addition, there are many resources available to help make it easier for people of all ages to eat healthy meals.
A healthy diet consists of a wide variety of foods from the 5 food groups and is generally moderate in size. The goal is to include a little bit of everything, but pay special attention to the amount of sodium and saturated fat you eat.
In general, try to fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies and fruit, a quarter of the plate with whole grains and a fourth of the plate with protein sources like fish, chicken or beans. Choose lean meats and skinless poultry, a limited amount of high-fat cheeses or nuts, and avoid processed or refined sugars.
When it comes to fats, it is important to use less saturated and more unsaturated fats such as olive, canola or vegetable oil. Avoid trans-fats and limit the amount of animal fats such as lard, butter or fatty cuts of meat.
It is important to eat at regular intervals throughout the day and to eat snacks when needed. This helps to keep your metabolism balanced and reduces hunger between meals. Keeping healthy snacks on hand will also reduce the chances of reaching for unhealthy foods. Be sure to include a source of protein with your snacks, such as low-fat yogurt or hummus with vegetables and a piece of fruit. Emnahrungskompass