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Meal Planning for a Healthier Body & Healthier Weight
For a healthy body, eat LESS saturated and trans fats, LESS sodium, FEWER calories and MORE fiber.
Less saturated and trans fat
Some fats, like saturated fats, are more likely to contribute to the risk
of health problems. Saturated fats, for example, are usually found in
animal foods, such as meat, milk, cheese and butter. They’re also
in foods with palm and coconut oils. Trans fats are commonly found in
cakes, cookies, crackers, margarine, shortening, and fried potatoes. When
eating fats, consume mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types,
such as that found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
Less sodium
Eating less sodium can help lower some people's blood pressure.
Check with your health care provider to determine if lowering sodium intake
is right for you. Sodium is needed in our diets, but only in small amounts.
So, read food labels. Stay under 2300 mg of sodium per day, and try not
to use salt at the table.
Fewer calories
When we eat more calories than we need, we gain weight. Being overweight
can increase the risk for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease
and cancer. When we eat fewer calories than we need, we lose weight. Combining
a reduced calorie diet with increased exercise is the best way to achieve
weight loss, rather than just focusing on diet. (Note: Consult a healthcare
provider before placing a child on a weight-reduction diet.)
More fiber
Many Americans are only getting about half the fiber they need. Eating
fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains may help lower your chances
of disease. Fiber helps fill you up without calories, too. Adults should
aim for at least 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed.
That means for a typical 2,000 calorie/day diet, 28 grams of fiber is
the goal.
Food Guide
The food items in the left column are less
healthy. The choices on the right are your best route to a healthy body
and healthy weight.
| Instead of… | Do this … |
| Whole or 2% milk, and cream | Use 1% or fat-free milk. |
| Fried foods | Eat baked, steamed, boiled, broiled, or microwaved foods. |
| Cooking with lard, butter, palm and coconut oils, and shortenings made with these oils | Cook with corn, safflower, canola, sunflower, soybean (vegetable), olive, cottonseed, peanut or sesame oils. |
| Smoked, cured, salted and canned meat, poultry and fish | Eat (unsalted) fresh or frozen meat, poultry and fish. |
| Fatty cuts of meat, such as prime rib | Eat lean cuts of meat (i.e. round or loin) and cut off fatty parts of meat. |
| One whole egg in recipes | Use two egg whites. |
| Sour cream and mayonnaise | Replace with plain low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, or low-fat or "light" sour cream and mayonnaise. |
| Sauces, butter and salt | Season vegetables, including potatoes, with herbs and spices. |
| Regular hard and processed cheeses | Eat low-fat, low-sodium cheeses or just a little regular, flavorful cheese. |
| Regular canned soups, broths and dry soup mixes | Eat sodium-reduced canned soups and broths, mainly those with veggies. |
| White bread, white rice, and cereals made with white flour | Eat whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-grain cereals. |
| Potato chips and other snacks | Choose baked chips or other baked snacks. |
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NOTE: All information on the Healthy Children Healthy Futures website is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, please consult your health care provider. Site Developed
by HCHF, Julie Petrie |