Healthy foods add balance to your diet, contributing nutrients that you need while not exceeding calorie boundaries. You must retain those good qualities through meal preparation and serving amounts. Starting out with nutrient-dense foods, which contain little saturated fat and cholesterol, from every food group is half the battle. Cooking them with little fat, salt and sugar and serving them in reasonable portions will make you victorious in maintaining strong nutritional levels and a healthy weight.
Low-Fat Milk Products
Calcium is an at-risk nutrient in many American diets, according to the USDA, so build toward your recommended calcium totals every day without overdoing your daily values of saturated fat. One-cup servings of 1 percent or nonfat milk, yogurt and cheese deliver 20 percent or more of your total calcium needs along with significant protein. Milk has the most nutrient density, with additional vitamins A and D in only 83 calories per serving.
Whole Grains
Dietary fiber is the prize when you choose whole over refined grains. Brown rice, for instance, has more fiber within the same calorie count as white rice, and whole-wheat breads have similar benefits over white breads. Choose whole-grain cereal, wild rice, barley, oatmeal and whole-wheat pastas for their contributions to colon and heart health.
High-Fiber Fruits
Fruits deliver fiber nutrition plus vitamin C to strengthen your immune system. The most nutrient-dense fruits, such as raspberries, pears and oranges, pack this nutrition into few calories. Bananas and papayas add potassium and vitamin A to your nutritional profile. Dried fruits such as raisins and prunes contribute iron. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest eating different fruits of different colors for different nutrient combinations.
Vitamin-Rich Vegetables
Within the vegetable food group, leafy greens are the most nutrient dense. Cooking raises this density dramatically, making 1 cup of cooked spinach your source for more than 20 percent daily value of vitamins A, B-2, B-6, B-9, C and K as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. The FDA considers this high nutrient content, and spinach also has moderate amounts of vitamin E, fiber and protein in only 41 calories per cup.
Low-Fat Protein Sources
Meats, fish and plant-based foods in the protein group have larger ratios of protein than foods in other nutritional groups. They also tend to have more fat, cholesterol and calories. The healthiest choices in this group have the lowest totals of those nutrients. Nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and peas have no cholesterol and low fat. Fish have less saturated fat and more beneficial unsaturated fat than meats and poultry. You can improve the nutrient density of meat by removing visible fat and of chicken and turkey by removing skin before preparing these foods.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Database
- United States Department of Agriculture: Food Groups
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Recommended Daily Values for Nutrients
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fruit and Vegetable Benefits
Member Comments