Tips on Healthy Food Choices
The first thing you need to know is that changing your diet will not beeasy, but over time, it will get easier and easier.
Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. 5 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of fruits are recommended each day.
Eat leafy, green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and green beans.
Choose whole grain products instead of white grain. For example, try brown rice instead of white rice or whole wheat spaghetti instead of normal spaghetti.
Consume dried beans such as pinto beans and lentils for low fat protein.
Consume non-fat dairy products such as skim milk, non fat yogurt, and low fat cheese.
Replace lard with liquid oils such as canola oil or olive oil.
Cut back on high calorie snacks and desserts such as chips, cookies, cake, pie, and ice cream.
Eating large portions can lead to weight gain. Watch portion sizes. Instead, eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. Replacing your plates with smaller ones may help with this.
When picking foods to purchase, try reading the ingredients. Don't buy foods with high fructose corn syrup in the beginning of the list. Studies have shown that high fructose corn syrup can increase your risk of getting Diabetes. One common product containing a large amount of high fructose corn syrup are sodas.
An important tool to have when planning meals is being able to read nutritional facts. The Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, has provided a useful guide in assisting us with this. Click here!
SparkRecipes is a great website dedicated to helping you find your nutritional value of your own recipes.
Below is a Calorie Counting Tool that you can use to give you an idea of your current calorie consumption.
