The healthiest foods you can eat

Healthy eating requires a strong mind and a determination for success. It is important to learn how to use proper nutrition in order to make the right decisions regarding eating habits. Being conscious and cautious about food intakes will allow you to be successful in your attempt at a healthy lifestyle. Some of the healthiest foods you can choose to eat include:

Fruits

Apricots – Apricots can be eaten fresh or dried. They contain 17 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber. They also contain Beta-Carotene, which helps prevent “radical” damage and protect the eyes.

Mangoes- Mangoes can provide almost you’re a full daily dose of vitamin C. They contain 57 MG of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps boost your immune system and is believed to help prevent arthritis.

Cantaloupes – Cantaloupes have 117 MG of vitamin C, which is twice the recommended daily dose. One half of a cantaloupe contains 853 MG of potassium, which is double the potassium in a banana. Potassium can help to lower blood pressure. A cantaloupe half contains 97 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomatoes – (Yes, they’re a fruit!) Tomatoes contain 26 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber. If you eat tomatoes on a regular basis, you may reduce the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancer by half.

Vegetables

Onions – Onions can protect against certain cancers. One cup of onions contains 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Broccoli – Broccoli contains vitamin C and Beta- Carotene. It also can help protect your body against breast cancer. One cup of broccoli contains 25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach – The carotenoids contained in spinach can help fight macular degeneration, which sometimes leads to blindness. One cup of spinach has 7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, Beans, and Nuts
Peanuts – Peanuts and other nuts can lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 20 percent if taken daily. But be aware that just one ounce has 166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Pinto Beans – Pinto beans can also protect against heart disease. They have more than 25 percent of our daily folate requirements in just one half cup. One half cup of Pinto beans contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams of fiber.

Skim Milk

Skim milk helps improve vision and can even improve your allergies. One cup contains 86 calories, 0 fat, and 0 fiber. Skim milk also contains Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and calcium.

Sea Food

Salmon – All cold water fish contain great sources of omega 3 fatty acids, so eating salmon is an excellent way to reduce the risk of cardiac disease. Just three ounces of salmon contains 127 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crabmeat – Crabmeat is known as an immunity booster. It’s a great source of vitamin B12 and zinc. Three ounces of crabmeat contains 84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.

The healthiest food choices are foods that are low in fat and have no cholesterol, such as fruits and vegetables. They contain good sources of fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume foods high in complex carbohydrates and fiber.

Below are some tips in healthy food choices

  • Avoid consuming coconut, which is high in saturated fats; and olives, which are high in mono-unsaturated fats and calories. You may be getting too many calories from fat in these foods.
  • When cooking vegetables and grains, avoid adding saturated fats and cholesterol. A good substitute for butter, margarine or other saturated fats is egg yolk. For example, egg yolk can be added to breads and pastas.
  • Sodium is added in most processed, canned, and preserved vegetables. Too much sodium for certain people can cause an unhealthy increase in blood pressure. Nowadays you will find companies who are reducing the amount of sodium (salt) they put in their canned and frozen prepared foods; however, whenever possible. choose frozen or fresh vegetables to avoid excess sodium in your diet.
  • Nuts and seeds – When eating these types of foods, be aware that they are high in calories and fats. Most nuts are made up of polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated fats, although Macadamia nuts are actually high in saturated fats.
  • Foods such as oats, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice, barley, apples and plums are great choices because they are high in soluble fibers.

It is always important to read all food labels and nutrition facts whenever you buy food. By reading all the information available, you can make a better determination of how healthy the food is. This is critical to make the right choice of foods that will improve your overall health and lifestyle.

Eating right is something that is on everyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions. If you want to eat healthy you need to make healthy food choices. Eating healthy is about what you put into your body and the choices you make can determine how healthy you become. In order to maintain balance in your healthy diet, you should make sure to consider the following:

Grains – It is recommended that you eat at lease six ounces of grains per day. Good examples to get the recommended amount are: three ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or pasta. There is actually an ounce of grain in just one serving of bread, or one portion of cereal.

Vegetables – You should eat about two-and–a-half cups of vegetables each day. Especially recommended are “dark” vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, as well as carrots and sweet potatoes. Dry beans are also highly recommended.

Fruits – Fruits are very important to any diet. The recommended serving of fruits is two cups each day. Eating a variety of fruits is also a great way to “spice up” the way you eat; and remember that fruit can be fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Drinking fruit juices can be a good way to get to the recommended two cups each day, but be aware that most prepared fruit juices have added sugars.

Milk – Milk is an excellent source of calcium. The recommended daily amount is three cups for adults and two to eight cups for children. Children need more because their bones are still growing. It is a good idea, however, when shopping for dairy products such as yogurts, to choose low-fat or fat-free. For those who can’t tolerate milk or dairy products, there are now a number of lactose-free products to help you get the recommended calcium.

Meat and Beans (Protein)
– The recommended daily amount is about 5 ounces. Baking, grilling or broiling meats will allow you to control the amount of fat. Remember also to try a variety of meats and proteins such as fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

Limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard in your food. Yes, they may add flavor to your meal but they may also be bad for your cholesterol level. It’s a good idea to avoid prepared foods that contain those ingredients.

Make sure to check the nutrition labels when you buy prepared foods in order to keep the saturated fats, trans fat, and sodium to a minimum. The nutrition labels are usually found on the back or side of the package.

Not only is eating healthy good for you, but exercising is just as (if not more) important. Age doesn’t matter; eating healthy and exercising will contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle, and will have long-term benefits as well.

Last updated on Feb 20th, 2009 and filed under Healthy Eating. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

1 Response for “The healthiest foods you can eat”

  1. LaylaRox says:

    I just want to know what the healthiest foods are cause my mom and dad an all of us are going on a diet!!! That’s why I wanted to know. Most of this stuff that is on here is stuff we eat already and I don’t kno if we should eat more of it or less…..we eat a lot of fruit and vegies.:)

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