One of the most frequently cited
reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a
healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge.
Given the huge variety of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, meats and other healthy foods at the local grocery
store, however, it is definitely possible to create exciting, nutritious meals
that will keep boredom at bay.
Your key to healthy eating
The key to the success of any plan
for healthy eating is to eat what you like, but to exercise moderation when it
comes to the less healthy foods.
Improving your level of health and fitness does not mean forgoing that
piece of chocolate cake, for instance.
It does mean, however, limiting yourself to one piece. A healthy diet contains all types of foods,
including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. The key is choosing foods that provide the
best combination of taste and nutrition.
After all, if your diet consists of foods you hate, you will not stick
with it.
The revised USDA food pyramid
contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy,
and meat and beans. When choosing foods
from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every
food group. Doing so will not only give
you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will
provide the best nutritional balance as well.
In addition the widely known micronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin
D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of macronutrients, like fats,
proteins, fiber and water. Though
present in extremely tiny amounts, micronutrients are vitally important to good
health. That is why a healthy, varied
diet is so important.
In addition, when choosing foods
from within the various food groups, some choices are naturally better and
healthier than others. For instance,
choosing skim or 2% milk instead of full fat whole milk is a good way to cut
down on both fat and calories. And
choosing poultry or lean meat is a great way to get the protein you need every
day without extra fat, cholesterol and calories.
Likewise cereals and breads that
carry the whole grain label are healthier than those who do not. Even in the world of fruits and vegetables
some choices are better than others. For
instance, peaches packed in heavy syrup add unnecessary sugar to the diet,
while those packed in water or juice provide only good nutrition.
There has been a trend lately to add
vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize
nutrition. It is important to remember,
however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin
supplements. It is fine to buy calcium
fortified cereal, but the bulk of your calcium intake should still come from
milk, dairy products and green leafy veggies.
Choosing the best foods
Knowing the five major food groups
and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods
from within those food groups. That
means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes
instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.
Even with fruits and vegetables,
some choices are better than others.
Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and
calories. It is important to check the
nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply
assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.
One way to maximize nutrition while
minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are
usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even
thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there
may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so
the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and
buy accordingly.
