So you’ve decided it’s time to change your eating habits and enjoy the many benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Good for you. Before I help you along your way with some tips for healthy eating let’s answer the question – What is a healthy eating Plan?

cornacopiaA healthy eating plan:

  • Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products
  • Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
  • Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.

Where do you go from here? Well, here are a few tips for healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle:

  • Eat breakfast every day. I know you’re thinking I don’t have time for breakfast, but people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast also provides energy and helps you start your day off right.
  • Choose whole grains more often. Try whole wheat breads and pastas and leave that white bread and white pasta on the shelf. Substitute brown rice for white rice. Experiment with other whole grains like barley, whole oats, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
  • Select a mix of colorful vegetables every day. Why do you choose different colors? Vegetables of different colors provide different nutrients and vitamins. Choose dark green leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collards and mustard greens and red/orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, red peppers and tomatoes.
  • Choose fresh, canned or frozen fruit over fruit juice. Fruit juice, although significantly better than diet sodas, has little or no fiber and can be higher in calories than whole fruits. Please note that if/when you select canned fruit read the label carefully and select fruit packed in water rather than syrup.
  • Use fats and oils sparingly and choose polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (good fats) and severely limit saturated, hydrogenated and trans-fatty acids (bad fats). Foods that contain the good fats are most fish, nuts, seeds and oils from plants. Some of the good fat foods are: salmon, trout, avocados, olives, walnuts and vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower oils.
  • Limit your intake of sweets. Any food or drink which contains refined sugar provides zero nutrients and are commonly described as empty calories. These include candies, sodas, pop-tarts and maple syrup to name a few. Any food containing high fructose corn syrup or sugar should be strictly limited. One healthy alternative is honey.
  • Eat three meals a day. An alternative is to eat 5 to 6 mini meals evenly spaced throughout the day. When you skip meals you are more likely to overeat later. In addition, your bodies metabolism will burn calories more efficiently if you never let yourself go too long between meals. One caveat is you still need to monitor your daily caloric intake. In other words watch your portions.
  • If you do feel the need to snack during the day make sure to keep healthy snacks on hand. Low-fat or fat-free yogurt, fresh fruits, baby carrots, air popped popcorn sprinkled with spices (not salt) and high-fiber low-sugar cereals are easy and healthy snacks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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