Tips
Optimal diet
Choose most of the the food you eat from plant sources. Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Eat several servings of food from other plant sources like bread, cereal, grain, rice, and pasta. Limit food from animal sources like meat. Choose food that is fat free or low fat. Cook at home so you can control the food to be healthier and cheaper.
Whole Grains
Whole grains have all the parts of the seed, while refined grains are milled to remove the germ and bran which also removes some important nutrients. Compared to refined grains, whole grains are better sources of fiber and nutrients, such as B vitamins, iron, folate, selenium, potassium and magnesium. You can find whole-grain versions of rice, bread, cereal, flour, tortillas, crackers, and pasta at most grocery stores. Eat wheat bread instead of white bread. Replace white rice with quinoa, brown rice, or wild rice. When baking, substitute whole wheat or oat flour for at least half of the flour in a recipe. Popcorn is a good choice for a whole grain snack.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients
Macronutrients are needed in large amounts and include protein, fats, and carbohydrates. They provide your body with energy. Carbohydrates fuel your body and protect against disease. Healthy choices for carbohydrates include whole grains, beans, and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits instead of refined grains and products with added sugar. Fat supports many body functions like vitamin and mineral absorption, blood clotting, building cells, and muscle movement. Healthy choices for fats include unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils. Protein is needed for growth and repair. Proteins are important to the body as enzymes, hormones, antibodies, transport molecules, and structural components. Eating protein gives building blocks to make new protein for the proteins that regularly wear out and need to be replaced. Try to get protein mostly from plant sources like beans, nuts, soy, and some grains. Meat, fish, and eggs are sources of protein, but limit how much you eat of them. The micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts and include vitamins and minerals. There are 13 essential vitamins. Each vitamin plays an important role in the body, and not getting enough of them can cause health problems and disease. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. Water-soluble vitamins include C and 8 B-complex vitamins. Minerals help with many body functions, including building strong bones and teeth, regulating your metabolism, and staying properly hydrated. A well-balanced diet full of vegetables and fruits will provide you with vitamins and minerals.
Cereal
For a healthy breakfast, look at the food label and choose a cereal with a 100% whole grain as the first ingredient (like whole-grain oats, wheat, corn, buckwheat, or rice) and include protein and fiber and are low in sugar. Oatmeal is a great choice for a whole grain hot cereal. Shredded wheat, whole wheat bran flakes, and toasted oats are good choices for whole grain cold cereals. For less fat, use skim milk on cereal.
Legumes
Legumes include kidney beans, cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, navy beans, black beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peas. They provide fiber, protein, carbohydrates, B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorous. Legumes are low in fat, have a low glycemic index, and have no cholesterol. Scientific evidence shows that legumes can help in the prevention and management of a number of health conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Legumes make great additions to soups, stews, and casseroles.
Reliable Nutrition Websites
Learn about nutrition from trusted websites like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Choose My Plate, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Fruits and Veggies More Matters. Use the Healthy Eating Plate created by nutrition experts at Harvard as a guide to help you make good eating choices.
Nutrition Quiz
Good nutrition is important for a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, a healthy diet can help your overall health. Be informed about good nutrition and practice eating right. Take this nutrition quiz to test your knowledge on nutrition.
