Eat protein every day. Try to eat at least two servings of fish each week, and choose plant-based foods more often. Dairy products are a great source of protein. Choose lower fat, unflavoured options. Fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods. Limiting highly and ultra-processed foods Highly processed foods — often called ultra-processed — are foods that are changed from their original food source and have many added ingredients.
During processing, often important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber are removed while salt and sugar are added. Examples of processed food include: fast foods, hot dogs, chips, cookies, frozen pizzas, deli meats, white rice and white bread. Some minimally processed foods are okay. These are foods that are slightly changed in some way but contain few industrially made additives. Minimally processed foods keep almost all of their essential nutrients.
Some examples are: bagged salad, frozen vegetables and fruit, eggs, milk, cheese, flour, brown rice, oil and dried herbs. We are not referring to these minimally processed foods when we are advising you not to eat processed foods. Read more about it here. Making water your drink of choice Water supports health and promotes hydration without adding calories to the diet. It is easy to drink empty calories without realizing, and this leads to weight gain.
Although fruit juice has some of the benefits of the fruit vitamins, minerals , it has more sugar than the fruit and less fiber. Fruit juice should not be consumed as alternative to fruits. Canadians should eat their fruits, not drink them.
When safe drinking water is not available, quench your thirst with coffee, tea, unsweetened lower-fat milk, and previously boiled water. Top 5 tips from the experts Prepare most of your meals at home using whole or minimally processed foods. Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight. Minus Related Pages.
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CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. Likewise, if you eat too many calories, you may experience weight gain.
People with obesity have a significantly increased risk of illnesses like type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart, liver, and kidney disease 1 , 2. Additionally, the quality of your diet affects your disease risk, longevity , and mental health. While diets rich in ultra-processed foods are linked to increased mortality and a greater risk of conditions like cancer and heart disease, diets comprising mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods are associated with increased longevity and disease protection 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8.
Diets rich in highly processed foods may also increase the risk of depressive symptoms, particularly among people who get less exercise 4 , 9. Healthy eating is important for many reasons, including fueling your body, acquiring necessary nutrients, lowering your disease risk, increasing your longevity, and promoting optimal mental and physical well-being. For instance, some people feel healthiest when following a low carb diet , while others thrive on high carb diets.
In general, though, eating healthy has nothing to do with adhering to diets or certain dietary rules. The specifics may be different for each person depending on their location, financial situation, culture and society, and taste preferences. Rather, it means prioritizing your health by fueling your body with nutrient-rich foods.
When you conceptualize healthy eating, your first thought might be about calories. Even though calories are important, your primary concern should be nutrients. For example, a candy bar or a box of mac and cheese may be incredibly high in calories but lack vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber.
For example, egg whites are much lower in calories and fat than whole eggs. Plus, although some nutrient-dense foods, such as numerous fruits and veggies, are low in calories, many — like nuts, full fat yogurt, egg yolks, avocado, and fatty fish — are high in calories. As a general rule, try to mostly eat foods that are high in nutrients like protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. These foods include veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, fatty fish , and eggs.
Macronutrients — the main nutrients you get from food — are carbs, fat, and protein. Fiber is considered a type of carb. Generally, your meals and snacks should be balanced between the three. In particular, adding protein and fat to fiber-rich carb sources makes dishes more filling and tasty Plus, counting macros and obsessing about staying within a certain macro range may lead to an unhealthy fixation with food and calories or cause disordered eating tendencies For example, if you feel your best on a low carb diet, simply choosing low carb foods like nonstarchy veggies, proteins, and fats more often than high carb foods will usually suffice.
One of the best ways to improve your diet is to cut back on ultra-processed foods. In fact, many healthy foods like shelled nuts, canned beans, and frozen fruits and veggies have been processed in one way or another. In contrast, highly processed products like soda, mass-produced baked goods, candy, sugary cereals, and certain boxed snack food contain little if any whole food ingredients.
These items tend to pack ingredients like high fructose corn syrup , hydrogenated oils, and artificial sweeteners 9 , 22 ,
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