Losing weight is easy, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, but it's hard to keep it off. When it comes to reaching your healthy weight and staying there, you need to find a diet you can follow for the rest of your life. An everyday diet should include a variety of healthy foods that you enjoy eating.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is your basic everyday diet that provides the right amount of calories, vitamins and minerals to supply your body with the energy and nutrition it needs to perform its everyday functions. According to the USDA food pyramid, a balanced diet includes a variety of healthy options from all of the food groups, including 3 cups of nonfat or low-fat dairy foods, 4 1/2 cups of fresh fruits and vegetables, at least 3 servings of whole grains, lean meats and beans for protein and heart-healthy fats. When following a balanced diet you need to eat three meals a day, especially breakfast, according to the National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus. To balance each meal and help you meet your nutrient needs, include a food item from each food group at each meal.
Low-Fat Diet
A low-fat diet restricts fat intake to 20 to 30 percent of total calories. As an everyday diet, the low-fat diet can help you get to a healthier weight and improve heart health. The low-fat diet primarily consists of complex carbohydrates like grains, fruits and vegetables, and limits your intake of high fat animal products and added fat. To limit your fat intake, you need to use nonfat milk and dairy foods or dairy products with less than 3 g of fat per serving. Meats can also be a source of fat, and you should choose skinless poultry, lean meats trimmed of fat, such as beef sirloin and pork tenderloin, fish, egg whites prepared without fat and 95 percent fat-free luncheon meats when following a low-fat diet. The diet also limits added fat, such as butter, margarine and oil, to no more than three small servings a day.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets around and makes a good choice as an everyday diet. It was initially studied as a heart-healthy diet, but has also been shown to reduce risk of some cancers, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease, according to MayoClinic.com. The diet encourages you to eat more fresh, whole foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. The diet also emphasizes fish and poultry, recommending that you eat these foods, especially fish, at least twice a week. Olive oil is also a mainstay of the diet, used as a cooking medium and a dip for bread in lieu of butter. Eggs, cheese and milk can also be consumed in moderate amounts a few times a week on the Mediterranean diet. Foods high in saturated fat, like butter and red meat, should only be eaten a few times a month when following the Mediterranean diet.
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