Healthy Hunter - 10 Steps to Healthy Eating

The keys to healthy eating are balance, variety and moderation. That means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. Follow these 10 tips that to help you enjoy eating healthy:

1. Eat a variety of foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the following handy references to determine how much you should eat.
   Food Guide Pyramid | Nutrition facts panel on food labels
   
   
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Americans are encouraged to eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains and 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables daily. What do you eat? Men need more fruits and vegetables, but eat less. More on why fruits and vegetables are important, how much to eat and tips to help you eat more each day.
   
   
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The right weight for you depends on your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. Being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis and other health problems. Regular exercise is important to maintain a healthy weight.
   
   
4. Eat moderate portions. Keep your portions reasonable. For example, a serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards), a medium piece of fruit is one serving and a cup of pasta is two servings. How much are you eating?
   Portion size information | Visual aids for portion sizes
   
   
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you are very hungry it's tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don’t eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
   
   
6. Reduce, don’t eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Look at your dietary intake of these three items and make changes, if necessary.
   
   
7. Balance your food choices over time. Food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern. Not every food is perfect. When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss a food group one day, make up for it the next.
   
   
8. Know your diet pitfalls. If you want to improve your eating habits, you have to first know what’s wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? If you do, you don’t have to eliminate them, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not how can you add them into your daily intake?
   
   
9. Make changes gradually. There are no “super foods” or easy answers to a healthy diet. Make changes gradually. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success.
   
   
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is “good” or “bad”. Don’t feel guilty if you love foods like potato chips or ice cream. Eat them in moderation and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health