Dieta

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success  

Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes,
think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness

Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time.

Every change you make to improve your diet matters.

Think of exercise as a food group in your diet.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key 

Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.”

THINK SMALLER PORTIONS.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how
you eat 
Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry?

Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your
metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three
large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and

vegetables 
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day—the brighter the better. 

The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of
vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits. Some
great choices are:
  Greens: Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C,
E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Be adventurous with
your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens,
broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.
 Sweet vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables add healthy sweetness to your meals and
reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn,
carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or yams, winter squash, and onions.
 Fruit: A wide variety of fruit is also vital to a healthy diet. Fruit provides fiber, vitamins and
antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer
vitamin C, and so on.

Avoid: Fruit juices, which can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute
with water. Canned fruit is often in sugary syrup, and dried fruit, while an excellent source
of fiber, can be high in calories. Avoid fried veggies and those with dressings or sauces—
too much unhealthy fat and calories.

Water—a vital part of a healthy diet

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole

grains

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and
vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping
blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice
that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and
cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

The Best Foods to Eat for Great Health Benefits

You don’t need a degree in nutrition to learn the best foods to eat for health. You can get
the nutrients you need every day and achieve great health by just choosing from this list of
the best foods to eat and seeing that you eat for health from these nutritious foods on a daily
basis.

 Vegetables: When picking from the vegetables list, go for the bright colors with the
most vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Choose dark green, orange and red
vegetables, like broccoli, kale, carrots, squash, red peppers and tomatoes. And garlic
 and onions are powerful natural antibiotics that strengthen immunity and help
prevent disease.

  Fruit: From the fruits list, choose whole fresh, frozen or, in limited amounts,
naturally dried fruits. Pick berries, oranges, red grapefruit, cantaloupe, apples,
apricots, plums and other brightly colored fruit that's low on the glycemic foods
index, rather than canned fruit or fruit juices.

 Whole Grains: Choose 100% whole wheat or rye breads, crackers and pastas,
sprouted grains, brown rice, oatmeal and other whole grain high fiber foods instead
of refined grains, like white bread and white rice.

 Beans, Nuts and Seeds: Beans (legumes), such as lentils, soy beans, garbanzo, and
kidney beans are good sources of both protein and fiber. They can be added to
salads, home made burritos and soups. Good choices of nuts and seeds are raw,
unsalted almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds. If you’re watching calories, keep
portions small.

 Fats and Oils: Good quality food fat from olive oil, fish oil, beans, whole grains,
raw nuts and seeds provide important, healthy fatty acids. Use extra virgin olive oil
for salads, stir-frying and baking. Remember, fats are high in calories, so eat
sparingly for good weight management.

 Dairy and Eggs: Choose only healthy fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as
low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. If you drink milk, make sure it's fat-
free. And limit your use of butter, cheese and eggs.

 Fish, Poultry and Meats: Healthy high protein foods are important. Have omega 3
fish, such as salmon, trout or sardines at least twice a week. Also include poultry
(without the skin), beans, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. If you eat meat, pick lean
cuts and limit portion sizes.

 Water and Other Liquids: Since your body's mostly water and you use and lose
about 9 cups of it a day, fluids are essential. And here's the bottom line. Pure water
is the healthiest thing to drink. So stick with water, mild herbal teas without caffeine
and plain lemon water.
Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid
unhealthy fats
Add to your healthy diet:

 Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as
well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as
pumpkin, sesame).
 Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty
fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water
fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower,
corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

 Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole
milk dairy products.
 Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies,
cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made
with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different
protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu and soy products—will open up new
options for healthy mealtimes.

 Beans:  Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.
 Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans are great choices.
 Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh and veggie burgers for a change.
 Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Most people in the U.S. eat too much protein. Try to
move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein,
whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or
nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and
antibiotics.
Complete, incomplete and complementary proteins

 A complete protein source—from animal proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese
and eggs—provides all of the essential amino acids.
 An incomplete protein—from vegetable proteins like grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and
beans—is low in one or more essential amino acids.
 Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together
provide all of the essential amino acids your body needs. For example, rice and dry beans
are each incomplete proteins, but together they provide all of the essential amino acids.
 Do complementary proteins need to be eaten in the same meal?  Research shows that
your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.
 Why are complete and complementary proteins important? Complete and
complementary proteins that provide all of the essential amino acids will fill you up longer
than carbohydrates because they break down more slowly in the digestive process.

Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium & vitamin D for strong

bones
Great sources of calcium include:

 Dairy products, which come already fortified with vitamin D.

 Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens
 Dried beans and legumes

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar, salt, and refined grains

Sugar and refined starches

It is okay to enjoy sweets in moderation, but try to cut down on sugar. Sugar causes energy
ups and downs and adds to health problems like arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, headaches,
and depression.

 Give recipes a makeover. Often recipes taste just as good with less sugar.
 Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it! Try sparkling
water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.
 Eliminate processed foods. Processed foods and foods made with white flour and white
sugar cause your blood sugar to go up and down leaving you tired and sapped of energy.
Healthy eating tip 10:  Plan quick and easy meals ahead 
Plan your meals by the week or even the month 

One of the best ways to have a healthy diet is to prepare your own food and eat in regularly.
Pick a few healthy recipes that you and your family like and build a meal schedule around
them. If you have three or four meals planned per week and eat leftovers on the other
nights, you will be much farther ahead than if you are eating out or having frozen dinners
most nights.

Cook when you can

Try to cook one or both weekend days or on a weekday evening and make extra to freeze or
set aside for another night. Cooking ahead saves time and money, and it is gratifying to
know that you have a home cooked meal waiting to be eaten.

Stock your kitchen to be meal ready

Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:

 Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

 Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
 Healthy staples like brown rice, white Basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and
wild rice.
 Whole wheat bread and tortillas for healthy sandwiches and wraps.
 Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, fava
beans, and lima beans.
 Frozen corn, peas, and other vegetables to add to recipes or for a quick vegetable
side dish.
 Frozen fruit and berries to make smoothies or frozen desserts.
 Dark greens for salads, plus salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, beans, and seeds.
 Fresh and dried herbs and spices.
 Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil. You can also try
specialty oils like peanut, sesame, or truffle oil for adding flavor.
 Unsalted nuts for snacking, like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
 Vinegars, such as balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar for salads and veggies.
 Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads,
pasta, and soups.