Guidelines to a
Healthy Diet
The American Heart Association
recommends that you eat a variety of foods from the different food
groups. In order for women to lose one to two pounds a week, they
should consume between 1200 and 1500 calories a day.
Men should consume between 1500 and
1800 calories a day if they want to lose one to two pounds a week.
Let’s examine the different food groups the American Heart
Association suggests you consume.
Meat, Poultry, Fish -
You should consume no more than 6
ounces of meat, poultry, and fish per day. Lean cuts of poultry and
fish have fewer calories than fatty red meat, but you can find lean
cuts of red meat in your supermarket.
Breads, Cereals, Starches
-
This food group includes bread,
cereal, pasta, rice, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn.
You can have six servings from this food group a day. A serving
size is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of cereal, and 1cup of rice, pasta,
or ¼ to ½ cup of starchy veggies.
So, if you eat Remember here, that
whole grain is best. When you can, choose whole-grain bread, brown
rice, and whole-wheat pasta instead of their white counterparts
that have been stripped of nutrients and fiber.
Vegetables and Fruits -
Fruits and vegetables are essential
parts of your diet because they contain a variety of vitamins and
nutrients. You can have five or more servings a day of fruits and
vegetables.
A serving size is ½ cup to 1 cup of
cooked and raw vegetables, ½ cup of fruit juice, or one medium
piece of fruit. Aim to choose a variety of colors in your diet
because they have different vitamins and minerals. Let’s examine
the colors you should include in your diet every day.
Red -
Red fruits and vegetables contain
nutrients that help keep your heart and urinary tract healthy. They
also help with your memory and lower your risk of some cancers.
When it comes to red, choose from apples, cherries, strawberries,
tomatoes, red peppers, and radishes, to name a few.
Yellow/Orange -
Yellow and orange fruits and
vegetables contain antioxidants that keep your heart, vision, and
immune system healthy Some yellow and orange fruits and veggies
include apricots, lemons, peaches, cantaloupe, yellow squash,
carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Green -
Green fruits and vegetables help
lower your risk of some cancers and keep your bones and teeth
strong. Choose foods like green grapes, broccoli, avocados,
spinach, green apples, and limes.
Blue/Purple -
Blue and purple fruits and
vegetables lower the risk of some cancers and keep your urinary
tract healthy. They also help maintain your memory function. Some
delicious blue and purple foods are blackberries, blueberries,
raisins, plums, eggplant, and purple cabbage.
White -
White foods promote your heart
health, and if you already have healthy cholesterol, they’ll help
maintain those levels. Bananas, pears, cauliflower, mushrooms, and
garlic are tasty options you can fit into your meal
plan.
Milk Products -
If you love dairy products,
the good news is that you can still eat them and lose weight.
However, choose low-fat or fat-free products. They contain the same
vitamins and minerals, taste good, and lower your cholesterol all
at the same time.
Adults aged 19-50 should have three
servings of milk products per day. A serving of dairy is 1 cup of
fat-free or low-fat milk, 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat yogurt, 1
ounce of low-fat cheese (stay away from fat-free cheeses—they have
too much sodium) or a ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese.
Fats -
You should have no more than five
servings of fats a day in the form of oil, nuts, seeds, olives,
avocado, and mayonnaise.
Fat servings include one teaspoon of
oil, three teaspoons of nuts or seeds, 5-10 olives, 1/8 of an
avocado and two teaspoons of mayonnaise. If you love the taste of
butter on your vegetables, use a fat-free imitation butter spray.
It really doesn’t taste that much different.
By Christopher
Ruane