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How to Eat Healthy by Following Dietary Guidelines |
by Jude Wright
Every time you go to the grocery store or to a restaurant, you are faced with an overwhelming array of choices. You read, often opposing, information about which foods to eat and which to avoid. But, it can be easier to heat healthy if you follow the USDA dietary guidelines.
The USDA has introduced a new "improved" food pyramid. Along with the revised food pyramid, they have included information on food safety and on how to read food nutrition labels. They have a couple of websites that can be very helpful:
If you'd like to know what your food/calorie requirements are go to http://healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
For a personalized food guide go to http://myphyramid.gov
Let's take a closer look at the new food pyramid dietary guidelines:
1. Six servings daily of grains such as cereal, bread, rice or pasta. These should be whole grain as much as possible.
2. Five servings daily of vegetables. Eat a good variety including vegetables from these groups: dark green (broccoli, spinach, turnip greens), orange (carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes/yams), legumes - no, they're not grains - (pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, chickpea, tofu), starchy (white potatoes, corn, green peas) and the rest (green beans, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers). Try to eaat at least three different vegetables from each of these groups during the week.
If you eat legumes as a replacement for meat, you can count them as a protein. They're versatile, aren't they? They are also a great source of fiber.
3. Four servings daily of fruit, preferably whole fruit instead of juice. Two cups of fruit a day will equal four servings. They can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried. (1/2 cup dried equals one serving.) Fruit juice doesn't contain the fiber that your body needs and may also contain extra sugar that it doesn't need.
4. Six servings daily of (healthy) fat. That's only six teaspoonsful, so be careful. Healthy fat is from fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
5. Three servings daily of low fat dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt). 1 1/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk.
The calcium found in dairy products is vital for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
6. 5 1/2 ounces of lean protein. Vary the types of protein by eating baked lean meat, poultry, fish, beans eggs, and nuts.
Nutrition labels on canned, frozen, and packaged foods are now required by the USDA. They tell you the serving size, ingredients, calories, potential allergens, and amounts of fat, transfat, calories and nutrients contained - per serving - in the food.
Following the nutritional guidelines of the new food pyramid will contribute to your healthy eating plan.
Jude Wright is an author and webmistress of multiple websites. Visit her Nutritious-Cooking.com site for nutrition information, healthy recipes and meal plans.
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