Healthy Food Choices

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Grains - You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day.  To do this, you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or pasta.  You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables – These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day.  You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccili and spinach.  Carrots and sweet potatoes are good as well.  You should also eat more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney
beans.

Fruits – Fruits are very important.  You should try to eat 2 cups of them each day.  Focus on eating a variety, such as  fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit.  You can drink fruit juices as well, although you should use moderation when doing so.   Fresh squeezed juices are best.  Make sure to read labels carefully when purchasing, canned, frozen or other packaged juices as they can contain large volumes of sugar.

Milk – Milk is your calcium rich friend.  For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal.  For kids 2 – 8, 2 cups is where you want to be.  When choosing milk products or yogurt, you should go for fat-free or low-fat.  Those of you who don’t like milk or can’t have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified foods and beverages.

Meat and beans – Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go lean with your protein.  When eating meat, always bake it, grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation.  You should vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard.  These  foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well.  Therefore, you should try to add these foods and any foods that happen to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low,  you can check the nutrition facts label.  This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.

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.

Also see low fat recipes.

The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that you can get. This will help you get an idea as to what foods are the best for your body.

Fruits: Apricots – Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to prevent radical damage and also helps to protect the eyes. A single apricot contains 17 calories, 0 fat, and one gram of fiber. You can eat them dried or soft.

Mango – A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C, which is nearly your entire daily dose. This antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also boost your immune system.

Cantaloupe – Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is almost twice the recommended dose. Half a melon contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower blood pressure. Half a melon contains 97 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato – A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily. A tomato contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only 1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables: Onions – An onion can help to protect against cancer. A cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Broccoli – Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer, and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and betacarotene. One cup of chopped broccoli contains 25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach – Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend off macular degeneration, which is a major cause of blindness in older people. One cup contains 7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts: Peanuts – Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of heart disease by 20 percent. One ounce contains 166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of fiber.

Pinto beans - A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25 percent of your daily folate requirement, which protects you against heart disease. Half a cup contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams of fiber.

Skim milk – Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve allergies. You also get calcium and vitamin D as well. One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0 fiber.

Seafood: Salmon – All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease. A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab – Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity boosting zinc. A 3 ounce serving of crab offers 84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.