Diet Tips

The keys to healthy eating habits are balance, variety and moderation. In short, eating a wide variety of foods without getting a lot of calories or too much of any single nutrient. The below 10 tips can help you follow a healthy diet while still enjoying the foods you eat.



1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

Humans need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and a single food never 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. The quantity you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Read the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Surveys show most of us don't eat enough of these nutrition enriched 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 variety of foods.

3. Maintain a healthy weight.

Your ideal weight 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 skinny increases your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, you need to consult a dietitian to help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is very important to maintaining a healthy weight.

4. 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.

5. Eat regular meals.

If you skip meals, it can lead you to be more hungry and will result in overeating. When you're desperately 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.

Don't eliminate certain foods but try to reduce it. Most people eat for pleasure and nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key to a healthy habit is to eat them in moderation and make sure you eat them not many times a day.

6. Identify major sources of ingredients

You need to identify the major sources of ingredients and make changes in your diet. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Read the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to know how to balance your choices. Skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. But make sure you eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, or ask for a smaller portion.

7. Balance your food choices from time to time.

Not all food items can be "perfect." When selecting food which is high in fat, salt or sugar, chose other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next day. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

8. Know your limitations.

First of all, you need to know what's wrong with your eating habits in order to improve them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? It's better to cut back your portions than eliminating a particular food item. Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you are missing out on vital nutrients. Include fruits and vegetables in your in your daily diet chart.

9. Make changes gradually.

There is no "magic food" or easy shortcut to a healthy diet. And don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

10. Foods are not good or bad.

Select foods based on your eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love apple pie, potato chips, chocolate candy bars or ice cream. Eat moderately, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety. This is vital for good health.