In order to make healthy menus for yourself and your family, you need to clear the pantry of processed, empty-calorie foods and make room for fresh produce, whole-grain foods, lean meats and low-fat dairy items. A good variety of whole, fresh foods on your shopping list will provide both nutrition and a variety of tastes to make healthy foods more palatable.
Make a Fresh Start
After clearing out processed foods and snacks, a good place to start your food shopping is in the fresh produce section. If you start your shopping with fresh fruit and veggies, you will put the focus on the nutrition and dietary fiber you and your family need for healthy meals. Pick as many colored fruits and veggies as possible to make sure you get a full variety of vitamins and minerals. Try slicing up fruit and veggies with a low-fat yogurt dip for between-meal snacks or appetizers. Each person should eat about 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables each day.
Make Carb Choices Whole
Instead of white bread and processed cereals, pick whole-grain breads, pastas and cereals. When you choose whole-grain foods, you get complex carbohydrates for lasting energy as well as the entire kernel for digestive fiber. Whole grains have all the iron, B-complex vitamins and fiber that may be left out of milled grain, white bread, white rice and processed cereals. You'll need about three slices of whole-grain bread or 1½ cups whole-grain cereal or their equivalent for each person daily. Check food labels to make sure you are getting whole grains.
Pick Lean Protein
Pick high-protein foods such as fish, legumes and poultry that don't come laced with cholesterol-building fat. The Harvard School of Public Health says that fish such as salmon have the high protein you find in red meat but contain a quarter of the fat found in beef. Trout and herring have the added benefit of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Pick enough fish, poultry and legumes so everyone gets about 6 oz. of these high-protein foods daily.
Choose Low-Fat Dairy
When choosing dairy products for your home, go for low-fat rather than whole-milk choices. Low-fat or even no-fat milk, yogurt and other dairy choices will give you the calcium you need for strong bones without unneeded fat. Some fat is needed to break down fat-soluble vitamins such as A, K, D and E, but it's easy to take in too much fat. Each person should take in about 2 cups of low-fat milk or dairy products daily.
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