A Guide To HeALTHieR eATinG
Eating less junk food and adding more nutritious food to your diet can make a significant
improvement on your health.
Cut back on foods with limited nutritional value, are over processed or contain too much fat,
salt, sugar and refined white flour. Making these changes won’t require driving miles out of your
way in search of organic produce. Nutritious, healthy food is plentiful in any grocery store and at
most restaurants, if you know how to find it.
What to look for
■
■
■
■
■
■
Just-picked fresh vegetables and fruits are
at their most nutritious. The next best
choice is fresh frozen.
Whole grains are high in fiber, vitamins,
and complex carbohydrates. Much of the
fiber and vitamins are removed in
white flour.
Plain milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese
generally healthier than the flavored
variety, which adds sugar. For example,
flavored yogurt doubles the calories of
unflavored yogurt.
Avoid saturated fats whenever possible.
As a rule, saturated fat is a solid at room
temperature, and polyunsaturated fats
remain liquid.
Different types of meats contain different
amounts of saturated fats. Mutton, lamb,
beef and pork are very high in saturated
fat. Chicken, turkey and other fowl
have less saturated fat. Fish have the
least saturated fat.
Cooking influences many aspects of
nutrition. Boiling food dissolves vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients in the water.
Frying or deep-frying meats add to the
fat content, but broiling, barbecuing or
boiling reduces the fat content.
Limit the junk food
Avoid fast-food, which is high in fat, salt, and
sugar. If you must go to a fast-food restaurant,
study the nutritional guide and choose the
healthiest foods, like a salad with low-fat
dressing. Avoid sweetened drinks.
Read food labels
Less nutritious foods contain higher amounts
of fat and refined carbohydrates. They often
contain little of the basic vitamins listed at
the bottom of the labels.
Shop smart
Eat before shopping for groceries. Make a
shopping list, limiting the pleasure foods, and
then stick to it. Select a variety of fresh fruits
and vegetables, but only as much as your
family can eat in a week.
Take it slow
Although you may be tempted to change
your entire diet overnight, making gradual
changes is easier and more likely to become
permanent.
Here are some suggested daily
amounts for different food groups:
2 cups of fruit
2 ½ cups of vegetables
6 ounces of grains
5 ½ ounces of meat and beans
3 cups of dairy
Live healthy. Stay strong. Find out how at iuhealth.org/stronger
*Copyright Health Ink & Vitality Communications, 2/27/11