Healthy Eating - A Guide
A Guide
Reducing Fat and Cholesterol
- Use skim or low-fat milk and cheese made from skim or low-fat milk
- Cut back on the amount of fat you use in cooking
- Use water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed
- Choose lean cuts of meat
- Trim visible fat from meat
- Roast, bake, broil, or simmer meats and drain fat after cooking. Don't fry
- Remove the skin of cooked poultry
- Use smaller amounts of meat and stretch it by serving in casseroles with grains and vegetables
- In a dip or sandwich filling, replace all or part of the mayonnaise with yogurt
- Serve Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon
- Use vegetable or peanut oils instead of solid shortening and use margarine instead of butter or lard
- Try substituting egg whites in recipes calling for whole eggs
Controlling Calories
- Avoid overeating. Eat only when hungry and just until you're full.
- Moderation! Eat a variety of foods that you enjoy, but watch serving sizes.
- Eat slowly and chew your food well. This allows you to realize you are full before you overeat.
- Don't automatically have second helpings, unless it's a low-calorie vegetable or fruit.
- Decrease your fat and sugar intake and your caloric intake will likely decrease.
- Eat in a relaxed environment. It takes about 20 minutes after you begin eating for your mind to realize that you are full.
Reducing Sugar
- Avoid high sugar foods - read labels for words like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose
- Use unsweetened canned fruit or fruit canned in its own juice.
- Try using less sugar in your favorite recipes
Reducing Sodium
- Decrease the amount of salt used while cooking
- Taste foods before you add salt
- Avoid high sodium foods - read sodium content on the labels
- Drain and rinse canned vegetables
Increasing Fiber
- Eat whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas
- Eat more raw fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and seeds add fiber, but be aware of the additional calories
- Add bran (1 to 3 tablespoons) into your daily diet. Mix it with cereals, casseroles, tuna salad, and muffins
Increasing Calcium
- Eat two or more servings of calcium-rich foods every day.
- Examples: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, sardines or salmon (canned with bones),dried beans, tofu, broccoli
