A healthy diet supplies enough nutrients to power your metabolism but not too many of the elements that can slow it down. Using the four food groups to build meal plans will focus your attention on the beneficial fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that can do you most good. Making wise choices among those groupings will limit the detrimental fatty acids, cholesterol, sodium and sugar that can damage your health. Get essential nutrition by deriving each meal from every food group.
Protein Foods
If yours is an average American diet, most of your food calories will come from the protein group of meats and dairy products, fish, beans, nuts and seeds. The American Heart Association describes healthy protein sources as those with less saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium to clog your arteries or increase your blood pressure. Fish have less saturated fat than meats. Beans, nuts and seeds have no saturated fat or cholesterol.
Natural, unprocessed foods contain little sodium, so keep your intake low by adding little to no salt during cooking or at the table. Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are sometimes classified separate from the main protein group due to their common high calcium content. Choosing 1 percent or fat-free varieties will keep your saturated fat levels in check.
Grain Foods
Oats, wheat, corn, rice, rye and barley contribute fiber, iron, magnesium and B vitamins to a healthy diet. Inside this food group, unrefined grains have the greatest level of these nutrients. Choose whole-grain cereals and tortillas, whole-wheat or whole-rye rather than white breads and crackers, and brown rice, barley and bulgur as nutritious side dishes. Limit sugar, which adds calories but little valuable nutrition to your diet, by choosing an unsweetened cereal. Restrict sugar and detrimental trans fat by eating fewer commercial bakery goods.
Fruits
Fruits contain varying levels of vitamin C and dietary fiber. Eating a variety of fruits contributes important antioxidants that aren't produced by every type of fruiting plant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests attaining these different nutrients from an array of fruits, including oranges, apples, blueberries and kiwis.
Vegetables
Fiber-rich vegetables offer contributions of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, B, C, E and K in various combinations. Some veggies, such as cooked spinach, provide all of these nutrients. Like fruit choices, varied selections from the vegetable group will introduce all of these essential nutrients into your weekly diet.
Member Comments