Guidelines for Healthful Eating

What are some factors to consider when shopping for food? Guidelines for Healthful Eating Choosing nutritious foods from the thousands of products available can be quite a challenge.

In this lesson, you will learn to: • Apply balance, variety, and moderation when making food choices • Describe the effects of healthful eating behaviors on body systems • Formulate healthful meals and snacks as part of a balanced diet Lesson Objectives

Dietary Guidelines The recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans highlight three keys to a healthy lifestyle. Dietary Guidelines for Americans • Make smart choices from every food group. • Find a balance between food and physical activity. • Get the most nutrition out of your calories.

Selecting Food from Every Food Group The best way create a balanced meal is by carefully choosing foods from every food group every day. This includes: • focusing on variety of whole fruits. • varying vegetable intake by eating more dark green and leafy vegetables. • making half the grains you eat whole. • eating calcium-rich foods such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese. • going lean on meat protein and add more beans. Eat more poultry and fish. Making Smart Food Choices

Healthful Eating and Physical Activity As well as healthful eating, regular physical activity is important to staying well. • Aim for a healthy weight. It lowers your risk of heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes. • Be physically active for 60 minutes every day. • Increase the intensity of your physical activity gradually for even greater health benefits Balancing Food and Physical Activity

MyPyramid A Tool for Eating and Activity MyPyramid is the USDA’s food pyramid and is a useful tool for making healthful food and activity choices. • Each vertical colored bar depicts one of the food groups, including grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and beat and beans. • The width of each bar shows how much of the food you should eat in comparison with other foods. • The pyramid also emphasizes activity as a key component of an eating plan.

MyPyramid MyPyramid

When Making Food Choices Consider Your Activity Level • Understand what constitutes a serving. • Visualize common objects that can help you estimate serving sizes and control portions. • Balance your caloric intake with your activity level. The Dietary Guidelines define active as a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than three miles per day. Getting the Most Nutrition from Your Calories

It involves making sensible food choices, including: • a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat. • beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars. • preparing foods with less salt. Choose Sensibly

Moderation in Fats • The Dietary Guidelines recommends that no more than 30 percent of daily calories come from fats. • Eating less fat, especially saturated fat, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. C: Choose Sensibly

Learn to identify added sugars by their names on food packages. Balance foods that have added sugars with foods that have less added sugar. Limit your intake of foods that have added sugars but few other nutrients. Choose fresh fruits or canned fruits packed in water or juice. Moderation in Sugar C: Choose Sensibly

Read the Nutrition Facts panel to find out how much sodium a serving contains. Season foods with herbs and spices instead of with salt. At restaurants, ask for foods without salt or with reduced amounts of it. Taste foods before you salt them. Choose fruits and vegetables often. Moderation in Salt C: Choose Sensibly

Planning Healthful Eating • Making healthful food choices is challenging when having breakfast, snacking, and eating out. • Nutrition guidelines apply to all of your daily food choices. • With planning, you can fit your favorite foods into your diet. Healthful Eating Patterns

The Importance of Breakfast • Eating a nutritious breakfast improves mental and physical performance and reduces fatigue later in the day. • Eating breakfast may also help you maintain a healthy weight. • Skipping this meal may cause you to overeat later in the day. Healthful Eating Patterns

Nutritious Snacks • A healthful eating plan can include sensible snacks. • More healthful snacks include whole-grain products, fruits, and vegetables. Healthful Eating Patterns

Eating Out, Eating Right • Order foods that are grilled, baked, or broiled. • Ask that high-fat sauces not be used at all or be served on the side. • At fast-food restaurants, ask to see the calorie counts and other nutrition information before placing your order. • Don’t forget to think about portion control. Healthful Eating Patterns

Guidelines for Healthful Eating