Healthy Eating Tips

10 Tips to Healthy Eating

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is balance, variety and moderation. These healthy eating tips excerpted from an article by International Food Information Council Foundation help you follow the advice and enjoy your foods.

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereals and pasta group, 3 of which being whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If don't, give them another chance.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat may increase your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, and menstrual irregularities.
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. The recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, the size of a deck of playing cards. A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings.
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat too much.
6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.
7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. If you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings, don’t eliminate them just cut back your portions. If not getting enough fruits and vegetables, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success.
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad."