Monday, October 26, 2009

Healthy Food Choices Made Easy

By Thong M. Dao

In order to create healthy eating habits, it's crucial that you make a list of healthy food choices, then create a healthy menu and meal plan based on those. It's not as hard as you may think.

Here's the list you might have been looking for.

1. Grains. 6 ounces of grains are recommended daily. The most healthy grain foods are whole grain cereal, rice, breads and even pasta.

2. Vegetables. Lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are a few examples of healthy food choices. 2 things to remember, the greener the better, and two cups and a half per day are recommended.

3. Fruits. 2 cups daily will do just fine. Fruit juice is great, but keep it to a limit. Fresh fruits are always the best choice.

4. Milk. Hmm.... We all know that milk does good to the body as it is high in calcium. Adults should aim at 3 cups and young children 2 cups a day. Lactose-free products are also available for those who dislike or are allergic to dairy products.

5. Meat. Broiling, baking or grilling is the key to a healthy meal plan. Select lean protein meats like chicken, turkey and fish, to name a few. 5 ounces a day is enough.

As you are planning for healthy eating, bear in mind that butter, margarine, shortening and lard add cholesterol and that's not good.

The nutrition label on the back of each product will give you information about saturated fat, trans fat and sodium content. Keep your intake of these as low as possible.

By picking the most healthy foods for our healthy meal plans, we'll control our lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfectly with healthy food choices. No matter what our age may be, eating healthy will help us keep the active lifestyle and good health for years to come.

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