Whether you want to lose weight or improve your health, a nutritious diet and regular exercise will help you succeed. Knowing what and how much to eat can be a challenge, with all the contradictory diet advice floating around. A free nutritious meal plan can help you get and stay on track to a healthier lifestyle. You'll reap the rewards of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing your chances of conditions such as heart disease.
Healthy Eating Basics
Before choosing a healthy eating program, it helps to know some basic nutrition facts. A healthy diet should include a variety of foods from all of the food groups, including fruit, meat and beans, grains, vegetables and dairy or calcium-rich products. The USDA offers a Daily Food Plan (see Resources), which includes personalized eating guidelines based on your age, height, weight, sex and activity level. You can create your own free meal plan using the Daily Food Plan, or compare it to plans you are considering to make sure you'll be getting enough nutrients with other plans.
Free Meal Plans
There are a variety of free healthy eating plans online as well as free diet apps for mobile phones. Sites such as Meals Matter (see Resources) offer free healthy meal plans to suit your diet goals. There are also sites that offer free online journals and nutrition tracking, such as FitDay (see Resources). If you want to go the high-tech route, try a free iPhone app such as Calorie Tracker, or an Android app such as Fast Food Calorie Counter (see Resources).
Considerations
If you are eating healthy to lose weight, keep in mind that the amount of calories you consume each day should be less than what you burn. One pound of body weight is equal to about 3,500 calories, so if you burn 3,500 calories more than you eat each week -- or 500 calories per day -- you will lose 1 lb. in a week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week as a healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss.
Snacking Tips
Eating between meals or eating more frequent, smaller meals can help keep your energy level up and make you less likely to overeat in a fit of hunger. Stock up on fresh foods from your local farmer's market or grocery store. Many pre-packaged foods are high in additives, sodium and sometimes fat. Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your meals and snacks in place of desserts or junk food. Nuts, low-fat yogurt and whole grain snack bars also make nutritious snacks.
References
- Helpguide.org: Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It; Gina Kemp, M.A., Maya W. Paul and Melinda Smith, M.A; January 2011.
- Mashable: Top 10 Free iPhone Apps to Lose Weight; Jennifer Van Grove; January 2009
- Mashable: 8 Best Android Apps for Health and Fitness; Josie O'Dell; May 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
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