Healthy Diet: Brief Version

To keep healthy, you need to:

• Eat many kinds of healthy foods.
• Eat serving sizes that are not too big or too small.
• Get physical exercise.

What kinds of foods do I need?

Your daily diet should include choices from every food group:

• fruits
• vegetables
• grains
• milk products
• protein, such as meat or soy.

How much should I eat?

How much you should eat depends on your age and how active you are. It also depends on if you are trying to gain or lose weight.

Here are some serving suggestions for each food group.

• Eat about 2 cups of fruit each day (for example, 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots).
• Eat 2 and 1/2 cups of vegetables each day. Especially healthy vegetables are broccoli, cabbage, dark leafy greens, yellow vegetables, and beans and peas.
• Include at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of cereal, or a half cup of cooked rice or pasta.
• Drink 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk each day. Or you might have this much low-fat yogurt or low-fat cheese instead. (1 and 1/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk.) If you have problems digesting milk products, ask your health care provider what you can eat or drink instead.
• Get protein by eating small amounts of lean meats and poultry. Bake, broil, or grill the meats instead of frying them. Some of your protein should come from other foods, such as fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds. You can have a healthy diet without eating meat. If you are vegetarian, ask your provider how you can be sure to get enough protein and iron.

What foods are not healthy?

Some foods are not very healthy. Some can even cause disease if you eat them often. You don't have to give up all sweet, salty, or fatty snacks. You just need to eat less of these foods. It's best not to keep them on hand. Save these foods for special times, such as birthday parties.

Stay away from foods with cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat.

Your blood vessels can build up fat and get too narrow. This can increase your risk of having a stroke or heart disease. Saturated fats and trans fats are less healthy than unsaturated fat. Here are a few ideas for eating less cholesterol and less saturated or trans fat:

• Drink nonfat or low-fat milk instead of whole milk.
• Choose lean cuts of meat.
• Take the skin off poultry before you eat it.
• Use sunflower oil, canola oil, or olive oil to cook with. Don't eat foods containing palm or coconut oil.
• Use less butter. It is healthier to use margarine that is labeled "no trans fatty acids."
• Eat fewer servings of meat or eggs. These foods have cholesterol, which can cause heart disease.

This is very important if you have a family history of diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease.

Eat foods with less salt (sodium).

• Your body needs some salt to keep healthy. But it can be unhealthy if you use too much. It may make high blood pressure worse.
• Eat no more than 2,300 mg (milligrams) of sodium a day. That's equal to 1 teaspoon of salt. Read the labels on the food packages you buy. Check how much sodium is in the food.
• Taste food before you add salt to it at the table. Try adding other spices or herbs instead of salt.

Drink little or no alcohol.

When you drink too much alcohol, it can lead to many health problems. Women should have no more than 1 drink a day. Men should have no more than 2 drinks a day. A drink is 1 small glass of wine, 1 can of beer, or 1 shot of liquor.

Eat fewer foods with sugar.

Foods that have a lot of sugar give you many calories. They often don't give you what you need to keep healthy.

Eat less meat.

Eating meat, like poultry and fish, can help you keep healthy. It is an easy way to get iron and protein. But most people in this country get more protein than they need. It's a good idea to eat less meat. You can:

• Choose lean cuts of meat.
• Try to use meat as a side dish. Put meat in a casserole or stew.
• Choose not to eat meat at all. Just make sure you get iron and protein in your other foods.

How much exercise do I need?

To stay healthy you need to have regular physical activity as well as a healthy diet. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. If you are trying not to gain weight or to lose weight, you may need to exercise 60 to 90 minutes.