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 A Healthful Diet
Meeting Daily Nutritional Guidelines - Tips
Servings and Serving
Sizes
Calcium and Iron
Fruits and Vegetables
Grains
Fats
Alcohol
Meeting Daily Nutritional Guidelines - Helpful Tips
Below are some useful hints about how to increase and decrease
certain food groups and nutritional components in your daily
diet.
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Avoid getting the majority, or
all, or your protein from animal products. Meats, although
high in protein, are often high in fat. Introduce more legumes, nuts, fish, tofu and bean curd into your diet.
-
Start concentrating more on
complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates, such as grains,
have the added advantage of being excellent sources of fiber.
Eating more complex carbohydrates is an excellent way to
ensure the body has continuous, sufficient energy throughout
the entire day.
-
Watch the fat intake! When using
fat, try to pick monounsaturated sources of fat, such as olive
oil. Try to choose 'low-fat' dairy products and eat only the
suggested amounts of cheeses and meats, in small portions.
-
Keep in mind - the most
significant cause of high cholesterol is saturated fat.
Although you want to limit cholesterol intake, watching your
fat intake will often do this for you.
-
Avoid processed foods as much as
possible. Processed foods contain very high levels of sodium.
There is nothing wrong with using salt in cooking or salting
food - but only small amounts. Use less salt and taste your
food!
-
Always purchase breads and
grains that clearly state the word "whole" on the label. This
will ensure you're getting the maximum amount of fiber from
this food as possible. As well, eat more fruit and vegetables.
Much recent research - and more and more every day - is
clearly showing the positive health benefits of eating lots of
fiber. Estimates state that under 10% of Americans get the
recommended amount of daily fiber.
Most importantly, remember -
variety! Eat lots of different foods from all food groups
throughout the day, every day.
The U.S. Government's Food and
Nutrition Information Center offers detailed information about
nutritional guidelines for Americans. The National Institute of
Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases offers excellent resources on
nutrition and
other health issues. |
