Nutritional Advice
 Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance,
variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without
getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 6 tips can help
you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.
- 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; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you
should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the
Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
- Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most
Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the
bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you
eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy
some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for
tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
- 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 increases your chances for high blood pressure,
heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But
being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities
and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight,
a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful
weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy
weight.
- Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's
easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended
serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to 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. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information
on recommended serving sizes.
- Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to
out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry,
it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can
help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
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