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In order to keep yourself in the best shape
possible, it's essential to eat a healthy diet.
Find out exactly what you should be eating on a
regular basis.
If you are what you eat, it follows
that you want to stick to a healthy diet that’s
well balanced. “You want to eat a variety of
foods,” says Stephen Bickston, MD, AGAF,
professor of internal medicine and director of
the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at
Virginia Commonwealth University Health Center
in Richmond. “You don’t want to be overly
restrictive of any one food group or eat too
much of another.”
Healthy Diet:
The Building Blocks
The best source of meal planning for
most Americans is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Food Pyramid. The pyramid,
updated in 2005, suggests that for a healthy
diet each day you should eat:
-
6 to 8 servings of grains. These include bread,
cereal, rice, and pasta, and at
least 3 servings should be from
whole grains. A serving of bread
is one slice while a serving of
cereal is 1/2 (cooked) to 1 cup
(ready-to-eat). A serving of
rice or pasta is 1/2 cup cooked
(1 ounce dry). Save fat-laden
baked goods such as croissants,
muffins, and donuts for an
occasional treat.
-
2 to 4 servings of fruits and 4
to 6 servings of vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are
naturally low in fat, making
them a great addition to your
healthy diet. Fruits and
vegetables also provide the
fiber, vitamins, and minerals
you need for your body’s systems
to function at peak performance.
Fruits and vegetables also will
add flavor to a healthy diet.
It's best to serve them fresh,
steamed, or cut up in salads. Be
sure to skip the calorie-laden
toppings, butter, and
mayonnaise, except on occasion.
A serving of raw or cooked
vegetables is equal to 1/2 cup
(1 cup for leafy greens); a
serving of a fruit is 1/2 cup or
a fresh fruit the size of a
tennis ball.
-
2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt,
and cheese. Choose
dairy products wisely. Go for
fat-free or reduced-fat milk or
cheeses. Substitute yogurt or
sour cream in many recipes and no one will notice
the difference. A serving of
dairy is equal to 1 cup of milk
or yogurt or 1.5 to 2 ounces of
cheese.
-
2 to 3 servings of meat,
poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs,
and nuts. For
a healthy diet, the best ways to
prepare beef, pork, veal, lamb,
poultry, and fish is to bake or
broil them. Look for the words
“loin” or “round” in cuts of
meats because they're the
leanest. Remove all visible fat
or skin before cooking, and
season with herbs, spices, and
fat-free marinades. A serving of
meat, fish, or poultry is 2 to 3
ounces. Some crossover foods
such as dried beans, lentils,
and peanut butter can provide
protein without the animal fat
and cholesterol you
get from meats. A ¼ cup cooked
beans or 1 tablespoon of peanut
butter is equal to 1 ounce of
lean meat.
-
Use fats, oils, and sweets
sparingly. No diet should totally
eliminate any one food group,
even fats, oils, and sweets.
It’s fine to include them in
your diet as long as it’s on
occasion and in moderation,
Bickston says.
If you are what you eat, it follows
that you want to stick to a healthy diet that’s
well balanced. “You want to eat a variety of
foods,” says Stephen Bickston, MD, AGAF,
professor of internal medicine and director of
the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at
Virginia Commonwealth University Health Center
in Richmond. “You don’t want to be overly
restrictive of any one food group or eat too
much of another.”
Healthy Diet:
The Building Blocks
The best source of meal planning for
most Americans is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Food Pyramid. The pyramid,
updated in 2005, suggests that for a healthy
diet each day you should eat:
-
6 to 8 servings of grains. These include bread,
cereal, rice, and pasta, and at
least 3 servings should be from
whole grains. A serving of bread
is one slice while a serving of
cereal is 1/2 (cooked) to 1 cup
(ready-to-eat). A serving of
rice or pasta is 1/2 cup cooked
(1 ounce dry). Save fat-laden
baked goods such as croissants,
muffins, and donuts for an
occasional treat.
-
2 to 4 servings of fruits and 4
to 6 servings of vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in
fat, making them a great
addition to your healthy diet.
Fruits and vegetables also
provide the fiber, vitamins, and
minerals you need for your
body’s systems to function at
peak performance. Fruits and
vegetables also will add flavor
to a healthy diet. It's best to
serve them fresh, steamed, or
cut up in salads. Be sure to
skip the calorie-laden toppings,
butter, and mayonnaise, except
on occasion. A serving of raw or
cooked vegetables is equal to
1/2 cup (1 cup for leafy
greens); a serving of a fruit is
1/2 cup or a fresh fruit the
size of a tennis ball.
-
2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt,
and cheese. Choose
dairy products wisely. Go for
fat-free or reduced-fat milk or
cheeses. Substitute yogurt for
sour cream in many recipes and
no one will notice the
difference. A serving of dairy
is equal to 1 cup of milk or
yogurt or 1.5 to 2 ounces of
cheese.
-
2 to 3 servings of meat,
poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs,
and nuts. For
a healthy diet, the best ways to
prepare beef, pork, veal, lamb,
poultry, and fish is to bake or
broil them. Look for the words
“loin” or “round” in cuts of
meats because they're the
leanest. Remove all visible fat
or skin before cooking, and
season with herbs, spices, and
fat-free marinades. A serving of
meat, fish, or poultry is 2 to 3
ounces. Some crossover foods
such as dried beans, lentils,
and peanut butter can provide
protein without the animal fat
and cholesterol you
get from meats. A ¼ cup cooked
beans or 1 tablespoon of peanut
butter is equal to 1 ounce of
lean meat.
Use fats, oils, and sweets
sparingly. No
diet should totally eliminate any one food
group, even fats, oils, and sweets.
It’s fine to include them in your diet as long as
it’s on occasion and in moderation, Bickston
says. |