Apply the USDA Food Pyramid recommendations to a healthy weight-loss program by eating whole, fresh foods that are low in fat, sodium and sugar content. All the major food groups can be included in your diet and no special foods or supplements should be needed unless you have special health needs. Even though the Food Pyramid suggestions don't advise any radical concepts, you should make any dietary changes in consultation with your doctor.
Start With Produce
The Food Pyramid advises eating 3 cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit daily. Fresh produce is a good place to start when filling your market basket. Clear out your pantry of processed foods and snacks that will derail healthy, weight-loss goals. By starting with a full spectrum of different-colored produce you are more likely to have a healthy variety of the vitamins and minerals you need for full nutrition. You can also set up snacks with cut-up fruit and veggies accompanied by a flavored low-fat yogurt dip to quell hunger pangs between meals without yielding to temptation for processed snacks with unhealthy sodium, sugar and preservatives.
Choose Whole Grains
Avoid white bread, pasta and rice and processed cereals. Whole-grain breads, cereals, rice and pastas use the entire kernel to deliver complex carbs that deliver lasting energy because your body takes longer to process them than the simple carbs in processed grains. Whole-grain foods also supply more dietary fiber, iron and B-complex vitamins that are lost in the milling process. Try to eat about three slices of whole-grain bread or 1-½ cups of whole-grain cereal each day.
Fill Up on Low-Fat Foods
Low-fat dairy choices and lean meat items will help keep you from adding too much weight due to fat storage. Fish such as salmon and herring make good high-protein food choices because they contain a fraction of the fat found in red meat. Poultry and legumes also supply plenty of protein with less fat than beef. Try to eat about 6 oz. of lean meat-group foods and 3 cups of low-fat dairy items daily.
The Calorie Balance Point
Read food labels to make sure you don't take in more calories than you burn each day. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, if you are a woman you should eat less than 10 calories for each pound of your body weight if you want to lose weight. Men must eat less than 13 calories per pound to lose weight. Another way to lose gradually would be to eat at the weight-maintenance point of 13 calories per pound for men and 10 calories per pound for women, but add at least a half-hour of brisk exercise such as walking or cycling daily.
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