Adding healthy food to your diet can be as easy as aiming for fresh, whole foods with less fat and processing. You will find natural nutrients and fiber in whole-grain foods and fresh produce. You will avoid adding cholesterol-building fat, unhealthy amounts of sodium and unneeded sugar and preservatives by steering clear of processed foods and refined flour breads, pastas and cereals.
Start Fresh
The place to start your shopping should be in the fresh produce aisle. MayoClinic.com states that your focus will be on fresh, nutrient-dense foods with excellent dietary fiber by beginning with fresh fruits and veggies when you first enter the market. Avoid mixed fruit and energy drinks and processed snacks that have added sugar, sodium and preservatives.
Pick Low-Fat Protein
Choose protein with less fat by eating more fish, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds and avoiding beef and whole-milk products. The Harvard School of Public Health states that salmon is a better choice than beef steak because it has a quarter of the fat while supplying nearly as much protein as beef. Nuts, seeds and fish such as salmon, herring and trout also deliver heart-healthy oils along with high protein.
Choose Healthy Carbs
Choose brown rice, whole-grain breads and cereals instead of white rice and refined breads and cereals. MyPyramid.gov states you will get needed dietary fiber with whole grain foods and fresh produce. Whole grain foods also provide complex carbs for lasting energy because they take longer to process. The simple carbs in fresh fruits and veggies deliver quick energy, but must be renewed daily.
Limit Calories
Check food nutrition labels to avoid eating more calories than you burn. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that you can keep from gaining weight by limiting your calorie intake to 10 calories per pound of body weight if you are a relatively inactive woman. You can eat 12 calories per pound without weight gain if you exercise at least a half-hour daily with brisk walking or cycling. You can raise those numbers to 13 calories per pound for inactive men or 15 calories per pound for men who exercise.
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