Nutritional Facts

Overview

Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to turn to less healthy food choices because they might be easy to get or prepare, or they satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you are probably balancing a hundred things at once. Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes falls last on your list. But you should know that it isn't hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process.

Basic Steps to a Healthy Diet

Although there are different food pyramids for you to choose from, the challenge is to pick one, then create an eating plan that embraces healthy food. No matter which specific diet or pyramid you choose, the basic steps to good nutrition come from a diet that:

• Helps you either lose weight or keeps your BMI in the "healthy" range 
• Is balanced overall, with foods from all groups, with lots of delicious fruits, vegetables, and grains
• Is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat intake (less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat, and less than 30 percent of your daily calories should come from total fat)
• Includes a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains, a good source of fiber
• Includes enough fruits and vegetables (a variety of each, five to nine servings each day)
• Has a small number of calories from added sugars (like in candy, cookies, and cakes)
• Has foods prepared with less sodium or salt (aim for no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day for a healthy heart)
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, does not include more than one drink per day (two drinks per day for men)

1.   Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast also gives you energy and helps you think and learn.                                                                                                                                           
2.   Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola, and peanut oils, avocados, nuts and nut butters, olives, and fish provide heart-healthy fat as well as vitamins and minerals.                                                                                                                                             
3.   Eat six meals a day. If you’ve been following the typical nutritional advice of cutting back on calories and consuming no more than “three square meals” a day in the hope of shifting your fat-burning efforts into high gear, you may actually be throwing the whole process into reverse. According to scientists at Georgia State University, active folks who skimp on calories and eat infrequently (only three times a day) may be training their bodies to get by on less energy and therefore more readily storing unburned calories as body-fat. Instead, these researchers and many others advise active people to eat frequently (about every three hours) to accelerate metabolism and maintain steady energy levels throughout the day.                                                                                                         
4.   Choose appropriate portion sizes. USDA statistics show that because of increased portion sizes, the average total daily calorie intake has risen from 1,854 calories to 2,002 calories over the last 20 years. That increase—148 calories per day—theoretically works out to an extra 15 lbs. every year. Portion size is important to weight management. Employ a common sense approach, such as using the palm of your hand or your clenched fist for gauging the portion sizes of food.                                                                                                                           
5.   Drink 10 glasses of water everyday. It’s especially important to stay well hydrated when following a comprehensive training, nutrition, and supplementation program. Drink at least one glass of water with each of your six meals, and four more throughout the day. If you have an occasional diet soda, coffee or tea, you’ll need to drink an additional glass to compensate for the diuretic effect of these beverages.                                                                                  
6.   Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and help to keep your calorie count low.                                                                                            
7.   Understand Food Claims and Labels. A product labeled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly a product labeled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging.                                                                                              
8.   Fueling up with carbs. If you're feeling down and lacking energy, eat more fruits, vegetables, and grain products. In addition to being convenient and loaded with vitamins and minerals, these foods are low in dietary fat and are good sources of complex carbohydrates.                                                                                    
9.   Drink Fewer Calories. Drinking beverages such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, alcohol, specialty coffees and teas can add up to many "empty calories". Nutritionally speaking, these calories contribute little more nutrition to our diets except for plain, old calories. This means that it can account for putting on weight. Many times drinking extra calories is not compensated for by consuming fewer calories from other foods. Since it is important to drink fluids throughout the day, select them wisely. Drink skim milk, fruit juices and just plain, old water.                                                                                                                             
10.   Have "7-gram" Cereal. That means cereal with at least 7 g of fiber per serving, because eating cereal is your easiest chance to get lots of fiber in a small package. Not only is fiber a cancer fighter, but it actually cancels out some of the calories you eat.                                                                                                                       
11.   Stick with Whole Wheat. Whole wheat is actually better for you. It offers more fiber, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diverticulosis, diabetes to name a few. When possible, set aside the white flour and bread and reach for products that are made from oats, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, rye, brown rice, millet, and wheat.                                                                              
12.   Watch the sugar. Often people think by drinking fruit juices or eating low-fat fruit roll-ups and such, they are cutting out or eliminating sugar. The fact is that some fruit juices have more sugar than a soda. Reduction of sugar is important to good health; therefore always check out the sugar content of anything you put in your mouth, even if it appears to be healthy.