Even healthy people indulge in less-healthy foods every now and then. They stay well and fit, however, by building their menus around core foods that balance their intakes of calories, fat and beneficial nutrients. Establishing this equilibrium over time is what helps them manage their weight and enjoy plenty of energy for physical and mental tasks. To improve your health, the National Institutes of Health suggests putting together meals from all five food groups as often as possible.
Whole-grain Foods
Healthy people choose whole grains over refined grains for greater fiber and protein ratios. This means brown, not white, rice and whole-wheat, not white, breads and pastas. With six to eight servings of grains recommended by the USDA per day, in a 2,000-calorie diet, you should eat them at every meal. FDA food labels display a suggested serving size. Menu options include wheat bran cereal, oatmeal, bulgur, wild rice, barley and whole-wheat and whole-rye baked goods.
Low-fat Dairy Foods
A healthy diet includes calcium sources every day, to strengthen bones, teeth and heart function. To optimize these benefits, reduce the amount of saturated fat that you get from dairy products. The American Heart Association, or AHA, advises consuming 1 percent or nonfat milk, yogurt and cheeses, in two to three servings daily.
Diverse Fruits
Besides healthy fiber and vitamin C contributions, different kinds of fruits provide additional antioxidants that support your immune system. Fruits also fill you up on few calories, so have four to five servings that include bananas, pears, oranges, peaches, berries, melons, kiwis and grapes. The only high-fat, high-calorie fruits are avocados and coconuts, so eat these sparingly to stay slim.
Various Vegetables
Veggies provide similar fiber and vitamin benefits as fruits, but expand on that nutrition with more varied vitamin and mineral content. The USDA suggests eating nutrient-dense orange, red and dark-green vegetables most often, for high nutrient levels and low calories. Get many of your four to five daily servings from carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach. Add potatoes, cauliflower, corn and onions occasionally for variety.
Lean Protein
Some healthy people avoid red meats and poultry for their greater saturated fat content among protein foods, but the AHA says that lean cuts trimmed of fat and skin are OK to eat. To cut your saturated fat intake, eat fish such as salmon, tuna and halibut a couple times a week. To reduce your cholesterol intake, cook kidney, black or pinto beans, lentils, split peas or chickpeas on some nights in place of animal-based protein foods.
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