HEALTHY MEETS SIMPLICITY.
eating well
eat more
FRUITS
VEGETABLES
WHOLE GRAINS
Diets high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can decrease the risk of certain chronic preventable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity.
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fruits
Eat a diverse array of fruit, focusing on whole fruits. By consuming whole fruits most nutritional bang for the buck is obtained. If juices are consumed, they should be 100% fruit juice with NO added sugars.
vegetables
Variety is the key! Consume an assortment of colors and types. Different subgroups of vegetables contain differing nutrients. So by eating a variety, exposure to key nutrients is promoted.
eat less
MEATS
DAIRY*
HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS
Diets low in meat intake also help to prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
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try to limit...
added sugar
Read labels
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Look for in dairy and grain-based desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets.
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Goal: Less than 10% of daily calories to eventually close to zero.
sodium
Read labels
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Watch for this in canned goods/soups, frozen meals, fast food, savory snacks, cheese, bread, pizza, poultry, restaurant dishes, cold cuts/cured meats.
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When reading a label, high is considered 20% or greater of daily value, low is 5% or less.
saturated fat
Read labels
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Look for these in baked goods, dairy, meats, poultry, fast food, tropical plant oils, packaged snacks, sweets, nuts.
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When reading a label, high is considered 20% or greater of daily value, low is 5% or less.
trans fat
Read labels
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Watch for baked goods, fast food, frozen pizza, shortening, margarine, refrigerated dough products.
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Avoid partially hydrogenated oils.
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Should NOT consume trans fat.
refined carbs
Read labels
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Caution when shopping for cereals, baked goods, pasta, rice, and any other product containing grains.
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If it does not state whole in front of the grain, then it's refined.
cholesterol
Read labels
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Animal & animal-based products, such as dairy, are our dietary sources of cholesterol.
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Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs. You do NOT need to consume it.
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When reading a label, high is considered 20% or greater of daily value, low is 5% or less.
TIPS FOR GETTING STARTING
shop produce
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Do most shopping in produce.
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The rest of the shopping trip should be whole grains, then healthy protein sources. Easy peasy!
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Try buying only what you'll use in the next day or two. It cuts down on waste. Your grocery trips will be a lot faster as well!
avoid eating out
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This is a tough one in our busy lives.
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The key is to keep it simple! Quick and easy meals.
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Keep healthy snacks in the car like dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.
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If you have to grab a bite, try to do just that. Get enough to hold you over and not a full meal.
skip the junk food
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It can be tough passing up that package of cookies or bag of chips, but KEEP WALKING! If it's not easily accessible, you're less like to eat it!
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You'll find yourself snacking on the healthier choices you have at home. You may get some groans at first, but it's so worth it in the long run.
drink water
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Drinking water is a great way to maintain hydration without adding calories. Keep it simple and healthy with a glass of water.
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Add flavor to water by infusing with fruits and veggies or add a splash of 100% juice.
the basics
EAT WHOLE FOOD.
A whole food is a food as close to its natural state as possible. Food outside of its natural state has been processed to some degree.
Avoid a diet high in highly processed foods. Highly processed foods contain little to whole food and are high in at least one of the following: sodium, fat, sugar.
Will you have "treats" occassionally...uh, yes!
Chips exist! Cookies exist! Hot buttered rolls exist!
Do not beat yourself up for indulging time to time!
Just do NOT keep them in your pantry.
And strive to do your best!
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Information about diet recommendations and health benefits was obtained from:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.
*The dietary guidelines recommend the intake of non-fat and low-fat dairy