Characteristics of a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet means eating well balanced meals with portion control and limiting snacks, sugary foods and drinks.  Eating healthy includes a variety of fruits and vegetables found in all different colors.  To maintain a healthy diet, nutrient dense foods are a must!  These are foods that contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients but are relatively low in calories.

Sample Meals

A high nutrient-dense lunch would look something like this:

2 slices whole wheat bread
Deli turkey
1 slice roasted red pepper
romaine lettuce
1 tsp mayonnaise
baby carrots
hummus
8 oz non-fat milk

A low nutrient-dense lunch would look something like this:

One ground beef hamburger patty
Two hamburger buns
Iceberg lettuce
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 slice American cheese
Order of French fries, fried in peanut oil
Large regular soda
Candy bar

Eating healthy takes planning and practice.  When planning a healthy diet for yourself, it is important to know your strengths and weaknesses.  It is also important to take into account your lifestyle.  If you are always on the go and tend to like the convenience of eating out, you should research healthy choices at several local restaurants.  This allows you to maintain your active on the go lifestyle but still make healthy choices.

www.myplate.gov

Katz DL, Gonzales M. Way to Eat: A Six-Step Path to Lifelong Weight Control Sourcebooks, 2004