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Food, food, FOOD! It is an essential part of life and you spend much of your day either thinking about it, or eating it. You spend a whole lot more time thinking about it when you are dieting or changing how you eat. You need to start eating healthier, but how do you do that? What foods are ok to eat, and what destroys off all of your efforts? With so many types, mixes, and variations of foods out there, how can you be sure that you are eating healthy enough to lose weight!? Below you will find a list of the major types of food and what to look for in a healthy meal. They are broken up along the major food groups and you will see the nutritional value as well as what to look for when eating those foods.
Remember though, that it isn't just about what you eat, it is also about how much you eat. The average adult would consume 1800-2000 calories per day to maintain their current weight, you should aim for 1200-1400 calories per day to start losing weight effectivley. This amount will vary depending on your build, and if you are male or female, but you can get a good sense on where you are by eating smaller meals more often through the day, and only eating when you are hungry. Now, it's time to get started on your new path of healthy eating.
Grains |  |
Grains are an essential part of the human diet and have been a main lifestay in all peoples, cultures, and locations. Grains are a quality sources of complex carbohydrates, various vitamins and minerals, and are naturally low in fat. Grains that haven't been refined or processed are called whole grains. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. So whenever you can, choose whole grains over refined grains.
What to look for with grains:
You want to eat mostly whole grains in your diet. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel -- the bran, germ, and endosperm. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.
Nutritional Value:
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• Carbohydrates are what Grains are primarily composed of, but the quantity will varies according to the type of grain. Carbs account for 65% - 90% of the calorie content of grain. 7% - 15% of the calorie count is made up of protein, and the remainder is made up of fat. • Grains can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, like is the case with other foods rich in fiber. • Consuming whole grains may also reduce constipation. • Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins. B vitamins play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system. • Whole grains are useful sources of selenium and magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system. |
Ways to enjoy Whole Grains:
• Eat high fiber cerealse for breakfast, such as oatmeal, bran flakes, or shredded.
• Replace plain white bread with whole-wheat toast or whole-grain bagels. Substitute low-fat, bran muffins for calorie rich pastries.
• Make sandwiches using whole-grain breads or rolls. Replace white-flour tortillas with whole-wheat versions.
• Replace white rice with brown rice, wild rice or bulgur.
• Feature wild rice or barley in soups, stews, casseroles and salads.
• Add whole grains like cooked brown rice or whole-grain bread crumbs to ground meat or poultry for extra body.
• Use rolled oats or crushed bran cereal in recipes instead of dry bread crumbs.
Types of healthy whole grain foods:
whole grain barley
whole grain cornmeal
whole rye
whole wheat bread
whole wheat crackers
whole wheat pasta
whole wheat sandwich buns and rolls
whole wheat tortillas
wild rice
brown rice
buckwheat
cracked wheat
oatmeal
popcorn
Meats |  |
The meats section on the official food pyramid include all meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. This seems like an odd selection of many unrelated foods, but in reality they all include sources of protein and other similar important nutrients. So it should not be considered a bad thing to include these together in the same group. While they may be very different, they all give out similar nutritional value.
What to look for with meats:
Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain healthy oils, so choose these foods frequently instead of meat or poultry. However, choosing foods from this group that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol may have detrimental health implications.
Nutritional Value:
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• Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. • Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia. They should eat foods high in heme-iron (meats) or eat other iron containing foods. • B vitamins found in this food group serve a variety of functions in the body. • Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin E |
Ways to enjoy Meats:
• Remove all of the visible fat from meats before cooking.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
• Prepare dry beans and peas without added fats.
• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
Suggested Types of Meats:
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Lean cuts of Meat:
beef |
Poultry:
chicken |
|
|
Dry beans and peas:
black beans |
Nuts & Seeds:
almonds |
Fish:
cod |
Dairy |  |
All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Foods that are made from milk that also retain their calcium content are part of the group, while foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not.
Consuming milk and milk products provides health benefits—people who have a diet rich in milk and milk products can reduce the risk of low bone mass throughout the life cycle. Foods in the milk group provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
What to look for with dairy:
Most milk group choices should be fat-free or low-fat. Choosing foods from the milk group that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol can have health implications. Diets high in saturated fats raise "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood. The "bad" cholesterol is called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol, in turn, increases the risk for coronary heart disease. Many cheeses, whole milk, and products made from them are high in saturated fat. A high intake of fats makes it difficult to avoid consuming more calories than are needed.
Nutritional Value:
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• Diets rich in milk and milk products help build and maintain bone mass throughout the lifecycle. • The intake of milk products is especially important to bone health during childhood and adolescence, when bone mass is being built. • Diets that include milk products tend to have a higher overall nutritional quality. • Diets that are rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Milk products, especially yogurt and fluid milk, provide potassium. • Milk products that are consumed in their low-fat or fat-free forms provide little or no solid fat. |
Suggested Types of Dairy:
|
Milk:
fat-free (skim) |
Hard natural cheeses:
cheddar |
Soft cheeses:
ricotta |
|
Yogurt:
Fat-free |
Dairy Desserts:
Puddings made with milk |
Fats & Oils |  |
Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats. Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Oils from plant sources (vegetable and nut oils) do not contain any cholesterol. In fact, no foods from plants sources contain cholesterol. Some common oils are:
canola oil
corn oil
cottonseed oil
olive oil
safflower oil
soybean oil
A few plant oils, however, including coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered to be solid fats.
Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening. Solid fats come from many animal foods and can be made from vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. Some common solid fats are:
butter
beef fat (tallow, suet)
chicken fat
stick margarine
shortening
How are oils different from solid fats?
All fats and oils are a mixture of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats than oils. Oils contain more monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats. Saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol tend to raise "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease. To lower risk for heart disease, cut back on foods containing saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
Ways to enjoy fats & oils:
• Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated (MUFA) fats. Oils are the major source of MUFAs and PUFAs in the diet. PUFAs contain some
fatty acids that are necessary for health—called "essential fatty acids."
• Because oils contain these essential fatty acids, there is an allowance for oils in the food guide separate from the discretionary calorie allowance.
• The MUFAs and PUFAs found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils do not raise LDL(“bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition to the essential fatty acids they contain, oils
are the major source of vitamin E in typical American diets.
Fruits |  |
Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body
Nutritional Value:
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• Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. None have cholesterol. • Fruits are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). • Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer. • Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. • Eating foods such as fruits that are low in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. |
Ways to enjoy Fruits:
• Keep a bowl of whole fruit on the table or counter for easy access to reduce hunger.
• Refrigerate cut-up fruit to store for later.
• Buy fresh fruits in season when they may be less expensive and at their peak flavor.
• Buy fruits that are dried, frozen, and canned as well as fresh, so that you always have a supply on hand.
• Consider convenience when shopping. Buy pre-cut packages of fruit (such as melon or pineapple chunks) for a healthy snack in seconds. Choose packaged
fruits that do not have added sugars. This will allow easy access to fruits so you aren't dissuaded for another, more easily accessed food.
• At breakfast, top your cereal with bananas or peaches; add blueberries to pancakes; drink 100% orange or grapefruit juice. Or, try a fruit mixed with
low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
• At lunch, pack a tangerine, banana, or grapes to eat, or choose fruits from a salad bar. Individual containers of fruits like peaches or applesauce are easy and
convenient.
• At dinner, add crushed pineapple to coleslaw, or include mandarin oranges or grapes in a tossed salad.
Suggested Types of Fruits:
|
Apples |
Nectarines |
Cherries |
|
Melons:
cantaloupe |
Berries:
strawberries |
100% Fruit juice:
orange |
Vegetables |  |
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Nutritional Value:
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• Eating foods such as vegetables that are low in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. • Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. • Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. • Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. • Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. • Vitamin E helps protect vitamin A and essential fatty acids from cell oxidation. • Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption. |
Ways to enjoy Vegetables:
• Remember to buy fresh vegetables in season. They cost less and are likely to be at their peak flavor and nutritional value.
• Stock up on frozen vegetables for quick and easy cooking.
• Buy packages of veggies such as baby carrots or celery sticks for quick snacks.
• Vary your veggie choices to keep meals interesting.
• Try crunchy vegetables, raw or lightly steamed.
• Plan some meals around a vegetable main dish, such as a vegetable stir-fry or soup. Then add other foods to complement it.
• Try a main dish salad for lunch. Go light on the salad dressing.
• Include a green salad with your dinner every night.
• Shred carrots or zucchini into meatloaf, casseroles, quick breads, and muffins.
• Include chopped vegetables in pasta sauce or lasagna.
• Order a veggie pizza with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers, and onions, and ask for extra veggies.
Suggested Types of Vegetables:
|
Dark green vegetables:
bok choy |
Orange vegetables:
acorn squash |
Starchy vegetables:
corn |
|
Other vegetables:
artichokes |
Dry beans and peas:
black beans |