Eat Healthy
The Basics
Am I Eating a Healthy Diet?
Your body needs the right vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to stay healthy. A healthy diet means that you are eating:
- Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products
- Fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, beans, and nuts
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Stay away from:
- Cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added sugars
- Trans fats – trans fats may be in foods like cakes, cookies, stick margarines, and other fried foods
- Saturated fats – these fats come from animal products like cheese, fatty meats, whole milk, and butter.
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There are tools on the Internet that can help you find out if you are eating a healthy diet. MyPyramid Menu Planner can help you choose healthy snacks and meals.
The Benefits
Eating a healthy diet can help keep your body strong and fit. It feels good to know you are making healthy choices that can change your life.
A healthy diet can help protect you from:
- Heart disease
- Bone loss
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Some cancers such as colorectal cancer
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What if I am Overweight?
If you eat foods high in calories, sugar, and fat and don’t get enough exercise, you could become overweight or obese. That means you have too much body fat. To stay a healthy weight, you need to balance the calories you eat with the calories you use up. Use this Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator  to learn if you are at a healthy weight.
If you are overweight or obese, losing just 10 pounds may lower your risk of:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
Take Action!
Making small changes in your eating habits can make a big difference in your life. Here are some tips and tools to get you started.
Keep a Food Diary
Starting today, write down:
- When you eat
- What you eat
- How much you eat
- Where you eat
- How you’re feeling when you eat
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For example:
Tuesday 3:30 pm, 2 chocolate chip cookies, at work, feeling stressed
When you know what your eating habits are, you can make plans to change them.Use this food diary or make your own.