Pick the right carbohydrates, protein and fat to make sure your diet is healthy while controlling your weight. Processed foods lack the healthy nutrients and dietary fiber found in fresh, whole foods while adding unneeded sugar, fat, sodium and preservatives. The right amounts of the right foods in the right ratios will make your diet healthy.
Pick Healthy Carbs
You can find healthy carbs in whole grain foods and fresh produce. About half your daily intake of calories should be in carbs, and whole grain breads, cereals and brown rice provide complex carbs for lasting energy while fresh produce delivers quick energy, along with healthy amounts of dietary fiber. Avoid refined flour products and processed snacks, with their unnecessary additives.
Choose Low-Fat Protein
Go for fish, poultry, seeds, nuts and legumes to get the healthy protein you need while limiting your intake of fat. You can get nearly the same amount of protein in salmon that you get in red meat, but with only a fourth as much fat. Trout and herring also deliver heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
The Deal With Dairy
You can get plenty of bone-building calcium while avoiding cholesterol-building fat by choosing no-fat or low-fat dairy items. Egg substitutes and no-fat or low-fat dairy products deliver fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K without adding unnecessary fat. Yogurt dips for fresh veggies make great snacks, and low-fat, frozen yogurt makes a good alternative to high-calorie, whole-milk ice cream products.
Fill Up With Vitamins and Minerals
Choose as many colors of fresh produce as possible to get all the vitamins and minerals you need for full nutrition. By starting in the fresh produce area of your local market, you will be more likely to put the emphasis on fresh produce and away from snacks and processed foods. Fresh produce also delivers plenty of dietary fiber, along with water-soluble vitamins that need to be replenished in the body daily.
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