Making Healthy Food Choices

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in
fat and have no cholesterol.  Most are great sources
of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins. 
The American Heart Association recommends that you
eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.

Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:

-  Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives
are high in monounsaturated fats and calories.  You
should use these items sparingly to avoid getting
too many calories from fat.

-  When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat
or cholesterol is often added.  For example, egg
yolks may be added to bread or even pasta.

-  Processed, canned, or preserved vegetables may
also contain added sodium.  With some people, too
much sodium (salt) may lead to high blood pressure.
There are some food companies that are actually
canning vegetables with less salt.  You can look
for these in the market area or choose fresh and
even frozen vegetables.

-  Nuts and seeds tend to be high in calories and
fat, although a majority of the fat is polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated.  There are some varieties,
macadamie nuts for example, that are also high in
saturated fat.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber are a great
choice as well.  Examples include oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and
even apple pulp. 

Whenever you are looking for healthy food choices,
always make sure you read the nutrition label
or information about the food.  You can then
determine what the food contains and how healthy
it truly is for your body.  By taking your time
and making your healthy food choices wisely,
you'll have a lifetime to enjoy the foods that
will take care of you.

Continue reading →

Making Healthy Food Choices

Making Healthy Food Choices

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in
fat and have no cholesterol.  Most are great sources
of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins. 
The American Heart Association recommends that you
eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.

Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:

-  Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives
are high in monounsaturated fats and calories.  You
should use these items sparingly to avoid getting
too many calories from fat.

-  When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat
or cholesterol is often added.  For example, egg
yolks may be added to bread or even pasta.

-  Processed, canned, or preserved vegetables may
also contain added sodium.  With some people, too
much sodium (salt) may lead to high blood pressure.
There are some food companies that are actually
canning vegetables with less salt.  You can look
for these in the market area or choose fresh and
even frozen vegetables.

-  Nuts and seeds tend to be high in calories and
fat, although a majority of the fat is polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated.  There are some varieties,
macadamie nuts for example, that are also high in
saturated fat.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber are a great
choice as well.  Examples include oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and
even apple pulp. 

Whenever you are looking for healthy food choices,
always make sure you read the nutrition label
or information about the food.  You can then
determine what the food contains and how healthy
it truly is for your body.  By taking your time
and making your healthy food choices wisely,
you'll have a lifetime to enjoy the foods that
will take care of you.

Continue reading →

potatoes and beauty

Fast Facts On Potatoes
Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular
vegetable, even being ahead of other well known
vegetables such as lettuce and onions.  You can
cook potatoes in a variety of ways, and they are
included in one out of three meals eaten by almost
all Americans.  When they are prepared in a healthy
way, a potato can be an excellent source of energy
and also pack a nutritional punch.

Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C.
The fact is, one medium potato contains 45% of the
vitamin C that's recommended for good health. 
Potatoes are also high in fiber and carbohydrates
and contain more potassium than a banana.

A potato is naturally low in calories and contains
no fat, sodium, or cholesterol.  The skins of the
potatoes provide a helpful dose of fiber, iron,
potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several
B vitamins.

You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming
them, or even roasting them.  If at all possible,
you should avoid putting potatoes in the refrigerator
or freezing them, as cold will turn the potato
starch to sugar and cause them to turn dark when
they are cooked.

When you store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark
place. Too much light will cause them to turn green.
You can store them in the basement if you have
one, as the basement is the best place to keep
potatoes.

From mashed potatoes to baked potatoes, a potato
is something we all know and love.  They serve
many different tasty foods, and they provide our
bodies with plenty of healthful benefits.  We all
eat potatoes, some of us even grow our own.  Whether
you grow your on or buy them, the potato is
the one vegetable that makes everything just a
little bit better.

Continue reading →

Healthy Fat Intake

Healthy Fat Intake

This information is aimed at helping you to
reduce your fat intake.  The average individual
eats too much fat, a factor that's linked to
a variety of health problems, including cancer.
Diets that are high in fat are associated with
breast and colon cancer, with some studies
linking high fat to prostate cancer as well.

A majority of people can bring their fat intakes
down to a healthy range by making a few adjustments
in the way they shop, cook, and prepare the foods
they eat.

Now days, it's getting easier and easier to control
the amount of fat you consume.  The fat content of
foods are now available through the nutrition label
and through brochures distributed by food companies
and even fast food restaurants.

You can use this information on nutrition to choose
lower fat foods by comparing products and food
brands.  Once you have a rough idea of what a healthy
intake of fat is, you'll know what you can and what
you can't have.

From day to day, the amount of fat you eat will
vary.  Some meals and some days will be higher in
fat than others.  Even high fat meals can be kept
in line with healthy eating as long as you balance
those days accordingly.  The average fat intake over
the course of weeks and months is important, not the
fat intake of every meal and food you consume.

Younger adults and high active adults who have
higher calorie needs can probably eat a little more
fat.  Older adults and those that aren't very active
should aim for a lower fat intake.  This way, you
can control your fat intake and avoid the many
problems that fat is associated with.

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Facts About Nutrition Labels

Facts About Nutrition Labels

The nutrition label located on each and every food item,
will tell you all the information about that food.  For
some however, this information isn't exactly that reader
friendly.  Fear not, as it's actually easier than you
think.

Serving Size
This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar
food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making
it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category.

% Daily Value
This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie
diet.  This will help you to understand if the food
has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients.

The middle section
The nutrients you'll find listed in the middle section
are the ones that are most important to your health. 
This information can help you to calculate your daily
limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients.

Vitamins & minerals
The percent daily value found here is the exact same
as the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins
and minerals. 

Now that you know what the nutrition label actually
means, it'll be a lot easy to eat healthy.  Eating
healthy is a great thing - especially when you use the
nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.

Continue reading →