Learning to recognize healthy foods and making healthy food choices is a good alternative to a strict and regimented weight loss diet. When you choose healthy meal plans and eat in moderation, you can still enjoy many of the foods you love and have long-term weight loss and health benefits.
Maintain Energy
Start your day with a nutritious breakfast and eat healthy snacks between meals to maintain your energy levels. Include fruit, fruit juices, low-fat yogurt, cereals or whole-grain toast for breakfast. Metabolism levels drop during sleep and the body needs to draw on food for energy as you begin a new day. Challenges or stress during the day cause your body to produce adrenaline for energy. However, blood sugar levels drop following demanding situations, causing you to feel fatigued or hungry. Keep fruit, celery or carrot sticks or high-fiber nuts, such as almonds, pecans or pistachios, available for healthy snacking to avoid tempting high-fat snacks between meals. Consume low-fat, healthy food every 3 to 4 hours to maintain energy levels and avoid overeating.
Reducing Fat Intake
A healthy diet limits fat intake. Many protein foods necessary for energy contain high amounts of saturated fats. Reduce your fat intake by choosing lean meats, poultry without skin and fish, limiting them to no more than 6 oz. a day, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Bake, broil or grill meat, poultry and fish instead of frying. This allows excess fat to drip off. Substitute low-fat or fat-free dairy products for whole-milk items. Choose low-fat or fat-free butter, salad dressing and mayonnaise. Low-fat yogurt makes a healthy replacement for butter or sour cream on baked potatoes. Consume low-fat and fat-free products in moderation because they still contain calories that convert to fat when you overeat.
Fruits and Vegetables
Add more fruits and vegetables in your meals to make up for smaller portions of meat, poultry and fish. Low-fat fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fiber that fill you up so you are less inclined to desire high-fat foods. Select fresh fruit and vegetables, canned or frozen fruit without added sugar and canned or frozen vegetables. Avoid fried or creamy style vegetables.
Whole Grains
Enjoy whole grains with your meals to add fiber, help with digestion and satisfy your hunger. Whole grains contain more fiber and nutrients than refined grains. Choose whole-grain bread, high-fiber cereal, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, barley and oatmeal to enhance your meals and reap healthy, low-fat benefits. Whole-grain crackers with peanut butter and oat bran muffins provide healthy eating for snacks.
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