How do you make healthy food choices?

Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Here are some guidelines:

• Eat 3 meals a day, with healthy snacks.
• Increase fiber in the diet and decrease the use of salt.
• Drink water. Try to avoid drinks that are high in sugar. Fruit juice can have a lot of sugar, so choosing whole fruit is always a better choice.
• Eat fruit or vegetables for a snack.
• Eat more chicken and fish. Limit red meat intake and choose lean cuts when possible.

Meet MyPlate. MyPlate is a is a guideline from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help you eat a healthy diet.

The MyPlate icon is divided into 5 food group categories, emphasizing the nutritional intake of the following on your plate:

• Grains - ¼ of your plate.
  • Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain are grain products. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.
• Fruits and Vegetables - ½ of your plate.
  • Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
  • Any fruit counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut up, or pureed.
• Protein - ¼ of your plate.
  • Go lean on protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein routine — choose more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.

On the side of the plate

• Healthy plant oils – in moderation. Choose healthy vegetable oils like olive, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut. Others, such as animal fats, are solid and should be avoided.
• Drink water, coffee, or tea. Skip sugary drinks, and limit juice to a small glass per day.
• Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Focus on fat-free or low-fat products, as well as those that are high in calcium. Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day.