One of the easiest ways to categorize foods is to place them into one of three common categories: proteins, carbohydrates or fats. While many choices in each group contain nutrients that promote weight gain and other health problems, each group also has healthy choices. Understanding which foods in each of the three basic food groups promote good health and weight management will help you plan meals to meet your personal dieting goals.
Carbohydrates
Diets such as the South Beach Diet recommend eating complex carbohydrates from non-starchy or "non-white" carbohydrates. The so-called "bad" carbs come from items such as potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. Healthier choices for someone on a weight-loss program include water-based vegetables such as celery, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots and many green, yellow, red, orange or purple vegetables. Consider brown rice, sweet potatoes and breads and pastas made from whole grains if you wish to keep these types of foods in your diet. Fruits are carbohydrates, but contain more simple sugars than vegetables--don't substitute fruit for vegetable servings if you are following a diet plan such as the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Weight Pyramid.
Proteins
Animal products are rich sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Many are also high in fat and cholesterol. Healthier protein choices for dieters include turkey and chicken breast, high-fat fish, such as tuna, mackerel and salmon, lean ham, game and low-fat cuts of beef. As a rule, the cheaper the beef, the less fat, except for ground beef, where the opposite is true. Non-meat sources of protein include dark, leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spinach, and nuts, legumes and seeds. Soy beans are a rich source of protein, as are nuts such as peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts. Tofu, made from soy beans, is a popular meat substitute. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter are high in protein, but also contain significant amounts of fat and cholesterol. Choose fat-free or low-fat versions of dairy products to get your protein, calcium and vitamin D. Eggs are another good source of protein, but one egg contains more than 70 percent of your recommended daily allowance of cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.
Fats
Surprisingly, mainstream health experts such as the Harvard School of Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Mayo Clinic recommend you get almost as much fat in your diet as protein--some recommend even more. Fat is an essential nutrient, but high amounts of saturated fat and trans fat can lead to weight gain and other health problems. For dieting and good health purposes, focus on monounsaturated fats for your daily calories from this food group. High-fat fish get their fat from omega-3 fatty acids, which help raise high-density lipid, or "good cholesterol," levels. Walnuts and flax seed are other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts are also a healthy source of dietary fat. Cook with monounsaturated oils such as olive, canola, peanut and avocado, or polyunsaturated fats such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils, recommends the MayoClinic.com.
Member Comments