Foods can become unhealthy by the way that they are prepared or if eaten in amounts greater than recommended. For example, a vegetable is considered a healthy food, but if you add solid fat from meat and too much sodium to cook it, then it loses some of its healthy "label." The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2010 Dietary Guidelines offer suggestions for choosing healthy foods at health.gov.
Food Guide Pyramid
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid is a diet planning pyramid that was developed with input from scientists and nutritionists. The basic concept of the pyramid is that the healthiest food -- food you should eat more often -- is at the base of the pyramid. The least healthy food, represented at the very top of the pyramid, should be eaten less often.
Some Fats are Good for You
Fats should make up 25 to 35 percent of your total calories each day. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils, can be healthy if you stay within recommended values. Mono- and polyunsaturated fat can help lower your blood cholesterol level when you use them in place of saturated and trans fats. Food sources of mono- and polyunsaturated fats include salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts and liquid vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower.
Fats that Need to be Limited
Transfat and saturated fats are unhealthy in large amounts. Saturated fats should be limited to 7 percent of your daily calories, and trans fat should be restricted to 1 percent of total calories, according to the American Heart Association. Trans fats raise total blood cholesterol levels by raising LDL and lowering HDL -- the good cholesterol. Transfat is a "man made" or hydrogenated fat that is used to prolong the shelf life of baked goods and sweets such as cakes, cookies, crackers, pastries, pies, muffins and donuts. Foods high in trans fat, including commercially fried foods, should be avoided altogether, if possible.
Use the Dietary Guidelines to Eat Healthy Foods
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines serve as a road map that can help you determine what food is healthy. The Guidelines are written by nutrition experts in pediatrics, obesity, cardiovascular disease and public health. Healthy foods are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and vegetable-protein foods that have fewer calories and more nutrients. In general, healthy foods are low in sodium, saturated and trans fat, sugar and calories, but high in fiber.
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