Choosing healthy foods seems like a simple enough concept, but after a hard day at work it's just so much easier to stop for drive-thru burgers or, worse yet, sit down with a comforting tub of cookie dough ice cream. You need to educate your mind before feeding your body. Understand what you'll get from good nutrition, and you'll find it much easier to make healthier choices.



Vegetables

Mother Earth has already given us the foundation of a healthy diet in the form of vegetables and greens. Choosing an assortment of vegetables every day can be an easy way to get the 2 cups you need. Mix up your choices to ensure that you're getting the proper assortment of nutrients. Leafy dark greens, like spinach and broccoli, provide different nutrients than lighter greens and root vegetables. Sweet potatoes and yams can be baked or boiled for a tasty alternative to everyday white spuds. A plate of carrot and celery sticks with veggie dip will easily take the place of chips, and counts toward your daily vegetable requirements. When you just can't say "no" to a burger for dinner, try a side salad instead of fries. There are many ways to substitute nutritious vegetables for other snack and side dishes alternatives.

Good Grains

Our food guide suggests that we eat six ounces of grains on a daily basis. The average slice of bread contains just one ounce. Cereal is an obvious choice, with about one ounce of grain per cup. If you want to boost your grain intake and eat less, choose whole grain products. Rice, pasta and crackers are also healthy grain choices to incorporate into your daily diet.

Favor Fruits

Sweet, delicious fruits make choosing healthy foods so easy. Try to eat two cups of fruit each day. That's about the equivalent of an apple and a banana. Toss a handful of grapes into a salad, or slice a banana over a bowl of cereal. Fruit salad is a great way to get a variety of flavors in one sitting. Fruits can be canned, frozen or dried, but fresh is always the best choice. A glass of fruit juice can also count toward fulfilling your daily intake, although fruit juices should be consumed in moderation.

Dairy

Your teeth and bones need calcium to stay strong and healthy at any age. Growing children from two to eight years of age require the calcium intake of about two cups of milk a day. Older kids and adults should boost the amount to three cups per day. Cheese and yogurt are also excellent calcium-rich options. If weight is a concern, choose low-fat milk and dairy products. Even those who suffer from lactose intolerance can incorporate calcium in their diets, with a good selection of lactose-free products on the market. When choosing dairy products including milk, cheese and yogurt, go for the low-fat options. If you are lactose intolerant, there are lactose-free and calcium-fortified products on the market.

Meat, Tofu, Nuts, and Beans

Protein is a cornerstone of a healthy diet, and the food guide suggests no less than five ounces of protein-rich beans or meat every day. Remember, you're making healthy choices, so avoid big fatty steaks and double quarter-pounders at the burger joint. Grill or bake your meat to reduce your fat intake. Enjoy nuts for a high-protein snack or salad garnish. Peas, beans and fish are other great ways to boost your protein.

Trim the Fat

Fat is an important part of your daily diet, but you can certainly have too much of this good thing. You can use butter and other high-fat foods, but do so in moderation. Too much of this type of fat can send your weight and cholesterol levels soaring. Rather than frying your foods in butter, margarine, shortening or lard, try sauting them in vegetable or chicken broth. Pass the butter, and reach for seasonings and fruit juice to add flavour to vegetables.

Processed foods are packed with salt, fats and additives, so try to limit your shopping to the fresh meat and produces aisles. If you must choose some pre-packaged foods, make sure to read the nutrition facts and ingredient labels before you buy. This is an important step to limiting your intake of sodium as well as saturated and trans fats.

It really is amazing how choosing healthy foods can literally change your entire lifestyle. When you fuel your body with a nutrient-charged diet, you'll have more energy and a brighter overall outlook. Where you used to lie on the couch after consuming an eight-slice pizza, you'll find you have enough energy after your healthy dinner to enjoy an evening stroll around the neighborhood. Choosing healthy foods can be hard work, but you'll receive a lifetime of good health for your efforts.