Good Foods for Great Results

By: Ambrose Hutson

You are what you eat. It's more than an adage, it's the truth. If you want to get the most out of your body, you've got to know which foods to choose, and have the dedication to follow a smart diet every day.

We all know how hard it can be to stay away from the drive-thru on the way home from work. Knowing what you're putting into your body can make it easier to make the right choices.

Get Your Vegetables

Mother Earth has already given us the foundation of a healthy diet in the form of vegetables and greens. Choosing an assortment of vegetables every day can be an easy way to get the 2 cups you need. Mix up your choices to ensure that you're getting the proper assortment of nutrients. Leafy dark greens, like spinach and broccoli, provide different nutrients than lighter greens and root vegetables. Sweet potatoes and yams can be baked or boiled for a tasty alternative to everyday white spuds. A plate of carrot and celery sticks with veggie dip will easily take the place of chips, and counts toward your daily vegetable requirements. When you just can't say "no" to a burger for dinner, try a side salad instead of fries. There are many ways to substitute nutritious vegetables for other snack and side dishes alternatives.

Grains

When you consider that the average slice of bread contains just one ounce of grains, it can be a little daunting to think of satisfying your required intake of six ounces per day. An easy option is choosing whole grains and multi-grain alternatives wherever possible. Most breakfast cereals contain about one ounce of grains per cup, but whole grain choice can up the ante. Adding whole wheat pasta, rice and bran to your recipes also contributes to your daily intake, and reaching for a handful of whole grain crackers or popcorn is a sensible way to satisfy your snacking urges.

Pass the Fruit!

Sweet, delicious fruits make choosing healthy foods so easy. Try to eat two cups of fruit each day. That's about the equivalent of an apple and a banana. Toss a handful of grapes into a salad, or slice a banana over a bowl of cereal. Fruit salad is a great way to get a variety of flavors in one sitting. Fruits can be canned, frozen or dried, but fresh is always the best choice. A glass of fruit juice can also count toward fulfilling your daily intake, although fruit juices should be consumed in moderation.

Don't Skip Dairy

People of all ages need calcium for healthy teeth and bones. Kids from two to eight years of age require the calcium equivalent of about two cups of milk per day, while older kids, teenagers and adults need about three cups per day. At snack time, reach for calcium-rich yogurt and cheese. Watching your weight? Choose low-fat milk and dairy products. Even if you're lactose intolerant, you can still reach your calcium requirements with lactose-free and calcium fortified food choices.

Beans and Meat

The food guide suggests that we eat five ounces of protein-packed meat or beans every day. This doesn't necessarily mean that sitting down to a ten-ounce strip loin or a half-pounder at the burger joint is a wise idea. Remember, you should be choosing healthy foods. Meat should be baked, grilled or broiled to prevent grease from spoiling your diet. It's easy to vary your protein intake with options like nuts, peas, beans and fish.

Easy on the Fat

Fat is an important part of your daily diet, but you can certainly have too much of this good thing. You can use butter and other high-fat foods, but do so in moderation. Too much of this type of fat can send your weight and cholesterol levels soaring. Rather than frying your foods in butter, margarine, shortening or lard, try sauting them in vegetable or chicken broth. Pass the butter, and reach for seasonings and fruit juice to add flavour to vegetables.

Try to avoid purchasing processed foods that are high in fat, salt, and additives, and limit shopping to the produce and meat aisles. If you choose processed or packaged foods, read the labels and avoid those that are loaded with saturated fats, trans fats and sodium. Read the nutrition and ingredient labels before you buy, and it will be easier to make smarter choices at snack and meal time.

Put good things in to your body and you'll get good things from it. You'll feel more energetic, and may soon find that you're exercising more and thinking a little more clearly. Putting effort into your diet today will pay off with a healthy body that will serve you well for years to come.

Article Source: http://appliedhealtharticles.com

Columnist Ambrose Hutson writes for a variety of popular Internet sites, on womans health and health questions issues.
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