You should need 6 ounces of grains per day. To getting this,you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.
Vegetables:
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach. Carrots and sweet potatoes are also good as well. You should also eat more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney beans.
Fruits:
Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You should also drink fruit juices although you should use
moderation when doing so.
Milk:
Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal. For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you want to be. When choosing milk products , you should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified
foods and beverages.
Meat and beans:
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go lean with your
protein. When eating meat, always bake it,grill it, or boil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation. You should vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.
When you are cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you
should try to add these foods and any foods that happen to contain them.
To help keep your c fat, trans fat, and sodium low, you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.
By selecting your foods wisely and watching what you eat,you'll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle. This is no matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years by years - even help you and your health in the long run as well.
Most of us are aware of the benefits of a balanced diet and healthy eating. But being aware of the benefits is only half of the solution. You also need to know how to choose the foods that will be best for your health. Depending on your daily routine, you may or may not eat at home most of the time.
Start your day with a healthy and well balanced breakfast. Studies have shown that people who don't eat a full breakfast tend to seek carbohydrate snacks all throughout the day, and are more prone to gaining weight.
Eating at home usually involves more meal preparation time, this is important because preparing a good meal takes a lot more time than simply eating some junk food. If you can afford to prepare your meals at home, this can dramatically increase the quality of your meals, not only can you choose exactly what you eat, but you can choose how it is prepared and pick out the quality of the items yourself.
Any meal you eat, whether at home or while out should consist of all the basic food groups, balancing proteins, starches, greens and vegetables is a key factor to a healthy diet. Your body needs all the different food groups in order to function properly, by balancing your meals you are ensuring your health and the quality of your life.
Choosing the food you eat based simply on the label at the supermarket is not always the best choice. Sure, a low fat or diet version of a favorite snack, treat or dessert may be a better option than the regular version, but is it the best option. Look for healthier alternatives for snacking in between meals, low fat cereal bars and natural products, fruit and juice. It is not so much the amount you eat but rather what you eat that makes the difference.
Avoiding fatty foods and food with high quantities of sugar is also very important. Choose baked food instead of fried food, and adopt this healthier alternative when cooking at home as well.
When away from home and eating out, look for healthy alternatives. Fast food offers speedy advantages but often has no real nutritional value. Stuffing yourself with useless calories will fill you up momentarily, but you will soon find you are hungry again, and this can often lead to a vicious cycle, leading to high levels of junk food intake per day. Choose full meals whenever possible; look for whole wheat and organic products whenever you can. If you are on the run and need to eat as quickly as possible, look for the healthier alternatives to hotdogs and burgers. Try natural sandwiches made on the spot, there are many natural fast foods that can be just as quick as the conventional ones, while providing much better quality to your diet.
Both Trafficwala & Wisam Abdulaziz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.