Good nutrition can help you prevent diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Staying healthy is essential to life-long wellness and makes you a good role model for younger people. Below are some tips and resources, courtesy of myplate.gov, to help you find and stay on the right “healthy eating” track.
Build a Healthy Plate
Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your cup or bowl. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories. For more information, visit the MyPlate website
Healthy Eating Tips
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
- Switch to skim or 1% milk.
- Make at least half your grains whole.
- Vary your protein food choices.
- Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.
- Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars.
- Watch out for hidden salt (sodium) in foods you buy – it all adds up.
- Eat fewer foods that are high in solid fats.
- Eat the right amount of calories for you as often as you can.
- Cook more often at home, where you are in control of what’s in your food.
- When eating out, choose lower calorie menu options.
- Write down what you eat to keep track of how much you eat.
- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so sensibly — 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men.
- Keep your food safe. Learn more at www.FoodSafety.gov.
Resources from “Choose MyPlate!”:
Nutrition Programs
PATH
PATH helps people better manage their long-term health conditions by learning strategies to deal with pain, fatigue, difficult emotions, and more.
Better Choices, Better Health®
Better Choices, Better Health® is a 6-week small group workshop offered on a dedicated website to help people living with chronic conditions to manage them better.
Cooking Matters at the Store
Cooking Matters at the Store is a free program of the No Kid Hungry campaign that empowers families to stretch their food budgets so their children get healthy meals at home.