Getting nutrition right

Healthy eating is about balance, variety, and moderation. It means that you eat enough, but not too much, and that you eat a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to stay healthy. All foods, if you eat them in moderation, can be a part of healthy eating.

A good first step in changing a habit is knowing why you want to change. Your reason for healthy eating is really important. If you do it because you want to, you are more likely to have success.
What makes you want to change how you eat? Do you:

• Want to feel better and have more energy?
• Want to improve your health?
• Want to prevent or treat health problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes?
• Have another reason for wanting to do this?

Consider these nutrient-dense¹ foods:

Protein

Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

Fruits

Eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits. Look for canned fruit that says it's light or packed in its own juice. This means it's low in added sugar. Keep in mind that 1⁄4 cup of dried fruit counts as one serving of fruit.

Vegetables

Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Choose peas or beans, along with colorful vegetables each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for ones that are lower in sodium.

Grains

Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice.

Dairy

Eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Forti ed soy beverages also count as dairy.

Aim to limit your child's calories from:

Added sugar

Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, aren't added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup and honey. To avoid added sugar, check nutrition labels. Choose cereals with minimal added sugars. Avoid sodas and other drinks with added sugars.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, hot dogs, poultry, butter and other full-fat dairy products. When cooking, look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.

Salt

Another name for salt is sodium. Salt can hide in sandwiches, where the sodium in bread, meat, condiments and toppings adds up. Processed foods, such as pizza, pasta dishes and soup, often have high amounts of salt. Check nutrition labels and look for products low in sodium.

Don’t forget that it takes time to incorporate all of the key food groups into your diet. Over time, small changes can make a big difference. So change your eating habits a little bit at a time.

References

1 - Nutrition for kids: guidelines for a healthy diet