Diet-boosting foods
Obesity - diet-boosting foods; Overweight - diet-boosting foodsDiet-boosting foods nourish you without adding a lot of extra calories from sugar and saturated fat. Compared to diet-busting foods, these healthy options are high in nutrients and take longer to digest, so you stay full longer.
Diet-busting foods
Diet-busting foods work against you if you are watching your weight. These foods may taste good, but are low in nutrition and high in calories. Man...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleFruit and Vegetables
Any healthy diet includes fruit and vegetables every day. Foods that grow on farms, in gardens, or on trees are loaded with nutrients and fiber. They fill you up and give you a steady flow of energy.
Fiber
Fiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, the kind you eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Your body cannot digest fiber, s...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWays to eat fruit. Keep a fruit bowl stocked in your kitchen for a quick, healthy snack. If you are short on time, use frozen fruit that comes pre-sliced. Check to make sure there is no added sugar. The ingredient list should only include fruit. Other serving suggestions include:
- Berries over nonfat, low sugar yogurt
- Fruit smoothie with nonfat, low sugar yogurt
- Citrus salad with walnuts
- Watermelon salad with balsamic vinegar
- Grilled pineapple, peaches, or nectarines
- Poached pears
- Spinach and pear salad
Ways to eat vegetables. Cut raw veggies like carrots, celery, or bell peppers into sticks so you can snack on them throughout the day. You can also eat them in a salad. Like fruit, many vegetables come pre-cut and frozen. Again, check the label to make sure the ingredient list only includes vegetables. Try these vegetable recipe ideas:
Salad
Salads can be a good way to get your important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, not all salads are healthy or nutritious. It depends on what...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article- Stir-fried broccoli over brown rice
- Collard greens with a fried egg
- Roasted beets with fennel and orange slices
- Corn and tomato salad
- Grilled veggie kabobs or roasted vegetables
- Store-bought low-sodium soups with added frozen veggies
- Frozen vegetables stirred into boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking
Beans
Beans are a great source of protein and fiber. You can use beans to reduce or even replace meat in many dishes.
Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleFiber
Fiber is a substance found in plants. Dietary fiber, which is the type of fiber you can eat, is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is an i...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWays to eat beans. If you do not have time to pre-soak and cook dry beans, canned beans will save you time. Just be sure you buy beans that are low in salt (sodium). You can also reduce the sodium content by rinsing and draining canned beans. Here are some tasty ways to eat more beans:
- Vegetarian chili with kidney beans
- Black-eyed pea salsa
- Hummus made with garbanzo beans
- Lentil soup with carrots and spinach
- Split pea soup
- Brown rice and pinto beans
- White bean salad with lemon and avocado
- Veggie burgers
Whole Grains
At least one half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. Whole grains still have most of the nutrients and fiber they started with as plants, because whole grains contain the entire grain kernel. That is why whole-grain bread has texture and white bread is smooth.
Ways to eat whole grains. When choosing foods made with whole grains, check the ingredients list, whole grains should be listed first. Great ways to get more whole grains include:
- Whole-wheat or multigrain toast with avocado
- Oatmeal with berries
- Wild rice and mushroom salad
- Brown rice with stir-fried vegetables
- Whole-grain barley and vegetable soup
- Whole-wheat pizza with grilled vegetables and marinara sauce
- Popcorn with little or no added salt and butter
Low-Fat and Nonfat Dairy Foods
Low-fat and nonfat milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are healthy sources of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Unlike sweetened drinks with extra calories, milk fills you up with nutrients.
Calcium, vitamin D
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet can help maintain bone strength and lessen your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWays to get more dairy. Get creative when adding dairy to your diet:
- Add milk to high-fiber cereal
- Cook your oatmeal with skim milk instead of water
- Eat yogurt alone, with fruit, or drizzled with honey
- Use yogurt-based salad dressing
- Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream
- Snack on low-fat or nonfat cheese sticks
- Spread low-fat cottage cheese on wheat crackers and top with tomatoes
- Add a spoonful of nonfat cottage cheese to scrambled eggs
Foods to Eat in Moderation
Add limited amounts of these foods to your diet.
Nuts. In small amounts, nuts are a great source of fiber, protein, and healthy fat. But nuts are also high in calories, and they are easy to overeat. Eat them sparingly. Portion nuts out ahead of time, rather than eating them straight from the container. Add nuts to salads and main dishes as a source of protein.
Healthy fat
Fats are an important part of your diet but some types are healthier than others. Choosing healthy fats from vegetable sources more often than less ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleHealthy oils. Oils such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and soft margarine are great replacements for oils that are high in solid fat, like butter and shortening. Many oils that are high in solid fat promote waist fattening and are bad for your heart.
Use healthy oils instead of butter for cooking and in salad dressings to add richness to your meals. Like nuts, oils are high in calories, so they are healthiest in smaller amounts.
Seafood. Seafood is high in nutrients and heart-healthy fat. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends eating at least one 8-ounce (226 grams) serving of seafood every week. Healthy choices include sardines, herring, tilapia, and trout.
Chicken. Chicken is healthiest when you roast, broil, or grill it. Chicken breasts are lower in fat and calories than chicken thighs. It is fine to cook chicken with the skin on, which helps keep it moist. Remove the skin before eating to save about 50 calories and almost 5 grams of fat.
Fried chicken, chicken wings, or chicken served in cream sauce are a few of the many ways to make chicken unhealthy. You are best off avoiding these chicken options.
Lean cuts of meat. Whether meat is lean or high in fat depends on the part of the animal it came from.
- A serving of pork loin has 3 grams of fat. Spare ribs have 26 grams of fat.
- A top sirloin steak has 7 grams of fat. Prime rib has almost 23 grams of fat.
- Look for ground meat labeled "97% to 99% lean."
It is even healthier to use lean meat as a garnish instead of as a main course. For example, cook some lean ground beef, drain any oil, and add it, along with chopped carrots and zucchini, to a pot of tomato sauce.
References
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Food. www.eatright.org/food. Accessed September 17, 2024.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Use the dietary guidelines, myplate and food labels to make healthy choices www.eatright.org/health/wellness/nutrition-panels-and-food-labels/use-the-dietary-guidelines-myplate-and-food-labels-to-make-healthy-choices. Updated January 13, 2021>. Accessed September 17, 2024.
Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.
Snetselaar LG, de Jesus JM, DeSilva DM, Stoody EE. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025: understanding the scientific process, guidelines, and key recommendations. Nutr Today. 2021;56(6):287-295. PMID: 34987271 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34987271/.
Review Date: 9/4/2024
Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.