When you eat healthy, you don't need special reduced-calorie foods. Whether you need to lose or maintain weight, you can keep your body strong while you sculpt it by eating nutritious diet foods. To stay at a healthy weight, simply eat low-fat and low-sugar choices from the five food groups within a calorie range that you can burn at your activity level. To lose weight, make lower-calorie choices among those nutritious selections and step up your exercise plan.
Fruits
Versatile fruits fit into your diet everywhere -- as healthy snacks, desserts, fish and meat flavorings, and as additions to breakfast or grain dishes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend buying fruits by color, to ensure a revolving selection of vitamins and other nutrients. Good sources of vitamin C and fiber include kiwi, oranges, berries, pineapples and melons.
Veggies
Vegetables are the ultimate diet foods with low calories and fiber for weight control and generous amounts of vitamins and minerals. Spinach alone contains about 25 percent or more of iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and every vitamin except for vitamin D. The USDA suggests frequent consumption of orange, red and green vegetables, such as carrots, red peppers and spinach, for their high nutrient density.
Grains
Avoid refined grains, such as white rice and white bread, and go the more nutritious route by eating whole grains. Brown rice, bulgur, barley, whole-wheat breads, buns and pastas represent greater nutrient density, or stronger fiber and other nutrition in the same or lower calories. Low-sugar breakfast cereals have similar properties along with higher amounts of vitamin and mineral fortification.
Dairy
Your bone health depends on the calcium stores that you build throughout life, so get your calcium every day from nutritious low-fat dairy products. Plain, fat-free yogurt offers the highest concentration, while 1-percent or fat-free milk is enriched with additional vitamins A and D. The American Heart Association recommends avoiding full-fat yogurt, milk, cheeses and dairy desserts.
Protein
Protein foods are essential to tissue growth and strong muscles, but many have high saturated fat and cholesterol contents and calories. Choose those with the lowest ratios, and you'll still get large protein boosts. Good choices include skinless poultry and lean beef, or fish such as tuna and salmon for less saturated fat. The American Diabetes Association suggests eating beans for their no-cholesterol, high-fiber protein contributions.
References
- USDA: Food Groups; February 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fruit and Vegetable Benefits
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans; December 2010
- American Heart Association: How Do I Follow a Healthy Diet?; August 2010
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Superfoods
- USDA: Nutrient Database
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