Eating Healthy

Staying Active and Eating Healthy Home > Eating Healthy

• Developing Healthy Eating Habits
• Using Nutrition Facts Labels
• Good Eating Habits
• Know Your Fats
• Steps to Heart-Healthy Eating
• Additional Information on Eating Healthy

It isn't hard to make simple changes to improve your eating habits. And you can make sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little learning and planning can help you prepare food that tastes good and is good for you!

Developing Healthy Eating Habits

If you are serious about eating healthy, you should become more educated about the foods you eat and the number of calories and amounts of nutrients they contain. Try to eat foods low in:

• calories
• saturated fats
• trans fats
• cholesterol
• salt (sodium)
• added sugar or caloric sweeteners (such as corn syrup, glucose, fructose, maple syrup, or honey)

Using Nutrition Facts Labels

To help consumers plan a healthy diet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created the Nutrition Facts label. This label is required on the packages of most prepared foods, such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, and drinks. The label states how many calories and how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and other nutrients are contained in each serving. Serving sizes are based on amounts commonly consumed and are standardized for similar kinds of food so that the nutritional value of these products may be compared.

The Nutrition Facts label shows the % (percentage) Daily Value of various nutrients that are provided in one serving of the food. The % (percentage) Daily Values are based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories (a calorie being a unit of energy-producing potential in food). You may need more or less than 2,000 calories per day, but the % (percentage) Daily Value still provides a general idea of whether a food is low or high in a particular nutrient—5 percent or less is low, 20 percent or more is high.

Use the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages to limit the amount of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium and the number of calories you consume. You can also use the label to increase your intake of nutrients that promote good health, such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

No food is inherently "bad;" it is the total diet that counts. If your diet is generally low in fat (especially saturated and trans fat) and sugar and you are getting enough vitamins and minerals, you may occasionally indulge in a rich dessert or serving of fried food. If, on the other hand, you eat a lot of high-calorie foods, you are likely to quickly get your total calories for the day without getting enough vital nutrients.

Good Eating Habits

Experts suggest these good eating habits:

• Fruits and Vegetables: Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. In particular, select from all five vegetable subgroups several times a week. The five vegetable subgroups are dark green (broccoli, spinach, most greens); orange (carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin); legumes (dry beans, chickpeas, tofu); starchy (corn, white potatoes, green peas); and other (tomatoes, cabbage, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onions, peppers, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, summer squash).
• Whole-grain products: Grain products include bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals. At least half of the grain products that you eat every day should be made from whole grains. "Whole-grain" means that the entire grain kernel was used in making the product. Examples of whole-grain include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, and brown rice. In contrast, refined grains have been milled, a process that removes much of the grain kernel. 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. Some examples of refined grain products are white flour, white bread, and white rice. Most refined grains are enriched, which means that some B vitamins and iron are added back after processing. Fiber is not added back to enriched grains.
• Fats: Eat fewer foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. Prepare foods that are baked, broiled, or steamed, rather than fried. Choose fish, nuts, and seeds, which contain healthy oils, rather than meat and poultry. When you do eat meat or poultry, choose pieces that are lean or low-fat. Drink milk that is low-fat or fat-free.
• Salt: Consume less than 2,300 milligrams (about 1 tsp) of salt (sodium) per day. Most Americans consume more than double that amount, due in large part to eating a lot of processed foods.
• Potassium: Consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
• Desserts: Eat fruit as a dessert on most days. Eat less ice cream, cake, and other high-calorie foods.
• Snacks: Healthy snacks include dried fruit, whole-grain crackers, and low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
• Fast Food: Some fast food restaurants have added healthy choices, such as salads, to their menus. Choose these foods, rather than the other items on their menus, which tend to be high in saturated and trans fats, calories, and added sugars.
• Alcohol: Drink at most one alcoholic drink per day (two drinks per day for men).

Know Your Fats

There are different kinds of fats in food. Some can harm your health, while others aren't so bad. Some are even good for you! Here's what you need to know:

• Monounsaturated fats (canola, olive, and peanut oils; avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, and sunflower oils; many nuts and seeds) don't raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels but can raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it is best to choose foods with these fats.
• Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated fat is found mostly in food from animals, such as beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, and whole milk products. It is also found in tropical plant oils, such as coconut and palm oils. These oils are often found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods. Some processed foods, such as frozen dinners and canned foods, can be quite high in saturated fat. The cholesterol that you eat comes from animal products, such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, and whole milk. Food from plants—such as fruits, vegetables, and grain products—doesn't have cholesterol.
• Trans fats are formed during the process of making certain cooking oils, stick margarine, and shortening. These fats are often found in commercially fried foods, baked goods, cookies, crackers, and processed foods. Some are naturally found in small amounts in some animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and butter. Trans fats tend to raise total blood cholesterol. They also tend to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. One study found that the four main sources of trans fats in women's diets are stick margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb), cookies, and white bread.

To stay healthy, you should keep your total fat intake between 20 and 35 percent of your total daily calories. Most of these fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Less than 10 percent of your fat intake should come from saturated fats. You should keep your trans fat consumption as low as possible.

Steps to Heart-Healthy Eating

Heart disease is the #1 killer of both women and men. Eating a healthy diet is key to preventing the development of heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood cholesterol, and being overweight or obese. It also will help you control these conditions if you already have them.

Recently, studies have shown that blood pressure can be lowered by following a particular diet—called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan—and lowering your intake of sodium. While both the DASH diet and reducing sodium intake each lowers blood pressure on their own, the combination of both provides the greatest benefit in reducing high blood pressure.

Additional Information on Eating Healthy:

Publications

1.   Aim For A Healthy Weight! - These guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute present a new approach for assessing whether someone is overweight or obese. They also establish principles of safe and effective weight loss. Calculate your obesity risk online. If you need to lose weight or need help maintaining your current weight, there are items to help you get started, including recipes, shopping tips, and advice on choosing an exercise program.

   http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/patmats.htm

2.   BodyWorks: A Toolkit for Healthy Girls and Strong Women - This program is used by trainers to help parents serve as role models for their children. The toolkit provides parents with hands-on tools to make small, specific behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthy weight. The BodyWorks Toolkit is distributed through community-based organizations, state health agencies, non-profit organizations, health clinics, hospitals, and health care systems.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/bodyworks/

3.   Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 - This report provides advice about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.

   http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/

4.     Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans - This booklet based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 highlights how to make smart food choices from each food group and how to find your balance between food intake and physical activity.

   http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/brochure.pdf

5.   Frequently Asked Questions - A Healthy Diet - This publication provides information on how women can maintain a healthy diet throughout their lives. It explains what a healthy portion is and how a healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/diet.htm

6.   Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ - Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ is a dynamic health initiative that consumers will see in stores, online, at home and on packaging. It replaces the existing 5 A Day awareness program and will leverage the 5 A Day heritage and success to further inspire and support consumers to eat more, showcasing the unrivaled combination of great taste, nutrition, abundant variety, and various product forms (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice.) It also will build upon the body of science that indicates that increased daily consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent many chronic diseases.

   http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/

7.   Growing Older, Eating Better - This publication contains information on nutrition and the aging population. Other topics include single life, special diets, physical problems, money matters, food programs, other assistance, and physical activity.

   http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/296_old.html

8.     A Guide to Healthy Eating of the Fish You Catch - This guide helps you select and prepare fish that is low in chemical pollutants. By following these recommendations, you and your family can continue to enjoy the benefits of eating fish.

   http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/30cwafish.pdf

9.   Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan: Better Health and You: Tips for Adults - This booklet gives information on weight gain and obesity in adults. It also includes information on eating healthy, getting active, and losing weight.

   http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/better_health.htm

10.   Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan: Young at Heart: Tips for Older Adults - This booklet contains tips for older adults on eating healthy, getting active, and losing weight.

    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/young_heart.htm

11.   How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label - This fact sheet explains how to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.

    http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html

12.   Just Enough for You: About Food Portions - This booklet contains information on the difference between a portion and a serving. It also includes tips on how to control portion size at home and when eating out.

    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm

13.   My Bright Future: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Adult Women - This booklet will help you learn more about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating in your daily life. It will also help you talk with your health care provider about these topics and set healthy goals. Included are personalized tip sheets that can help you meet your nutritional goals.

    http://www.hrsa.gov/WomensHealth/mybrightfutureadult/menu.html

14.   MyPyramid.gov: Steps to a Healthier You - This interactive site gives detailed information on how much of each food group you should eat everyday. It also includes tips and resources for planning a well-balanced and healthy diet.

    http://www.mypyramid.gov

15.   Read the Food Label for Sodium! - Eating foods that are high in sodium can raise your blood pressure, and food labels tell you what you need to know about choosing foods that are lower in sodium. This fact sheet tells you how to read food labels correctly.

    http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhbpep_kit/label.htm

16.   Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite - This report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains how many people are using sugar substitutes and the controversy that surrounds these compounds. Sugar substitutes include saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose.

    http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1999/699_sugar.html

17.   Tips For Reducing Sodium in Your Diet - This fact sheet provides tips on eating less sodium.

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/sodium/tips.htm

18.   Use Herbs and Spices Instead of Salt - High blood pressure increases your chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. This fact sheet provides examples of herbs and spices that can be used instead of salt to help you control your high blood pressure.

    http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhbpep_kit/herbs.htm

19.     Vegetarian Nutrition Resource List - This bibliography lists resources on vegetarian nutrition for the consumer. The resources include articles, pamphlets, books, and full-text materials on the World Wide Web.

    http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/pubs/bibs/gen/vegetarian07.pdf

20.   What I Need to Know about Eating and Diabetes - This publication reviews diabetes nutrition basics, including what, when, and how much a person with diabetes should eat. It discusses healthier ways to buy, cook, and eat foods to achieve good blood glucose control.

    http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/eating_ez/index.htm

Organizations

1.   Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, OPHS, HHS
2.   Food and Nutrition Information Center, NAL, USDA
3.   Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
4.   National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, HHS
5.   National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, HHS
6.   Nutrition.Gov
7.   Smallstep.gov
8.   Weight Control Information Network, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
9. American Dietetic Association

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2006