Healthy Eating

Step 1: Look at how you eat

To eat healthier, you first need to know what makes up a balanced diet. A nutritional guideline such as MyPyramid will show you how many servings of each food group you need for a healthy, balanced diet. The guidelines stress whole grains and fruits and vegetables, and limited fat and sugar. After you know what foods make up a balanced diet, you can figure out what changes you need to make.

Keep a food diary (What is a PDF document?) for a week or two and record everything you eat or drink. Make sure to track the number of servings you get from each food group.

Most people need:

• 5 to 8 one-ounce-equivalents of grain products each day. Get at least half of your grain requirements from whole grains. A one-ounce-equivalent is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal.
• 1½ to 2 cups of fruits each day.
• 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day.
• 3 cups of nonfat or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products each day. An equivalent for 1 cup of milk is 1 cup of yogurt, 1½ oz of cheese, or 2 oz of processed cheese.
• 5 to 6½ one-ounce-equivalents of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, nuts, or eggs each day. A one-ounce-equivalent is ¼ cup of tofu (soybean curd), 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, ½ oz (1 Tbsp) of nuts or seeds, 1 egg, or ¼ cup of cooked dry beans, peas, or lentils.

Click here for information on serving sizes.

After the first week, review your food diary. Ask yourself a few questions: Are you getting the minimum number of servings from each food group, on the average? Do you get plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day? Are most of the foods you eat low in fat, sugar, and salt? Do you prepare meals at home, or do you eat more fast foods or convenience foods? Do you drink beverages that contain a lot of sugar? Do you drink plenty of water?

The number of calories you need each day depends on your age, whether you are male or female, and your activity level. In general:²

• Less active women and older adults need between 1,600 and 2,000 calories.
• Active women and most less active men need between 2,000 and 2,400 calories each day.
• Active men need between 2,400 and 3,000 calories each day.

These calorie amounts may vary from day to day, and are meant to be an average over several days. Pay attention to how hungry you are, and how full you are, instead of counting calories. Eating regular meals can help you be more aware of hunger and fullness.

Step 2: Start thinking about changes

Look over your food diary.

Do you find that you eat out a lot? If so, you may be getting more fat, salt, and calories than you need. Do you eat a lot of meat but not many vegetables? Your diet may be too high in saturated fats and low in fiber. Do you rely on packaged convenience foods for a lot of your meals? If so, you may be getting more salt and sugar than what is healthy for you.

Start reading labels on convenience foods that you eat, to see the amount of nutrients they contain. Fast-food and convenience-food meals often contain few or no fruits or vegetables. Adding some fruits and vegetables on the side will make the meal more nutritious.

Guidelines, such as the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, provide tips for eating well to prevent diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

To learn more about eating healthier, see:

Healthy eating: Changing your eating habits.

Step 3: Start small

Don't try to make big changes in your eating habits all at the same time. You will likely feel overwhelmed and deprived of your favorite foods and, therefore, will be more likely to fail. Start slowly, and gradually change your habits. Try any of the following:

• Use whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
• Eat brown rice instead of white rice.
• Try whole wheat pasta instead of pasta made with white flour. Or try a mixture of the two.
• Use skim (nonfat) or 1% (low-fat) milk instead of whole milk or 2% milk.
• Try low-fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt.
• Add more fruits and vegetables to meals, and/or have fruits and vegetables for snacks.
• Add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion to sandwiches.
• Add fruit to cereal.

Healthy eating: Starting a plan for change

Step 4: Know your ingredients

To make healthy choices, you need to know how certain foods affect your body.

• Fat: Learn the differences between types of fats. Saturated and trans (hydrogenated) fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase your risk for coronary artery disease. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may reduce your risk of developing coronary artery disease.³ And omega-3 fatty acids are part of a heart-healthy diet. They are found in fish, such as trout, tuna, and salmon, as well as in plant foods, such as walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil.
• Carbohydrate:Learn the differences between types of carbohydrate. Choose whole-grain sources of carbohydrate found in unprocessed cereal grains, such as brown rice instead of white rice and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Whole-grain sources of carbohydrate add fiber and reduce the risk of heart disease.³ Other high-fiber carbohydrate sources include vegetables and cooked dry beans.
• Sugar: Milk and fruits contain naturally occurring simple sugars along with many other vitamins and minerals. Foods with added sugar, such as granola bars and fruit drinks that are not 100% real fruit juice, often are high in calories but low in vitamins and minerals. Added sugars can make food taste better, but too much added sugar can fill you up and leave less room for other more nutritious foods.

Learn how to read food labels and how to understand health claims that can legally appear on food packaging.