Healthy Eating

Reducing Fat and Cholesterol
  • Use skim or low-fat milk and cheese made from skim or low-fat milk
  • Cut back on the amount of fat you use in cooking
  • Use water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed
  • Choose lean cuts of meat
  • Trim visible fat from meat
  • Roast, bake, broil, or simmer meats and drain fat after cooking. Don't fry
  • Remove the skin of cooked poultry
  • Use smaller amounts of meat and stretch it by serving in casseroles with grains and vegetables
  • In a dip or sandwich filling, replace all or part of the mayonnaise with yogurt
  • Serve Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon
  • Use vegetable or peanut oils instead of solid shortening and use margarine instead of butter or lard
  • Try substituting egg whites in recipes calling for whole eggs

Controlling Calories

  • Avoid overeating. Eat only when hungry and just until you're full.
  • Moderation! Eat a variety of foods that you enjoy, but watch serving sizes.
  • Eat slowly and chew your food well. This allows you to realize you are full before you overeat.
  • Don't automatically have second helpings, unless it's a low-calorie vegetable or fruit.
  • Decrease your fat and sugar intake and your caloric intake will likely decrease.
  • Eat in a relaxed environment. It takes about 20 minutes after you begin eating for your mind to realize that you are full.

Reducing Sugar

  • Avoid high sugar foods - read labels for words like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose
  • Use unsweetened canned fruit or fruit canned in its own juice.
  • Try using less sugar in your favorite recipes

Reducing Sodium

  • Decrease the amount of salt used while cooking
  • Taste foods before you add salt
  • Avoid high sodium foods - read sodium content on the labels
  • Drain and rinse canned vegetables

Increasing Fiber

  • Eat whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas
  • Eat more raw fruits and vegetables
  • Nuts and seeds add fiber, but be aware of the additional calories
  • Add bran (1 to 3 tablespoons) into your daily diet. Mix it with cereals, casseroles, tuna salad, and muffins

Increasing Calcium

  • Eat two or more servings of calcium-rich foods every day.
  • Examples: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, sardines or salmon (canned with bones),dried beans, tofu, broccoli