Healthy Eating for Weight Loss

What Makes Up a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet should consist of:

• 45% to 65% carbohydrates.
• 10% to 35% protein.
• 20% to 35% fat, with no more than 10% saturated fat and very little (or no) trans fat.

The Food Pyramid published by the USDA makes it easy to envision just how much of each food type you should eat.

Each section of the pyramid represents a food group; the size of the group corresponds to the number of recommended servings. The base of the pyramid represents the grain group. These are carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, cereal, rice and pasta. You should eat six to 11 servings per day of these foods. The next tier of the pyramid includes vegetables and fruit. You should eat three to five servings per day of vegetables and two to four servings per day of fruit. These are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The next level is protein, like dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts. You should eat two to three servings per day of foods from the milk group and two to three servings per day of foods from the meat, egg, bean and nut group. The top level of the pyramid is fats, oils and sweets; these should be used sparingly.

The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get all of the nutrients you need, and, at the same time, the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you're watching your weight, eat the minimum number of recommended servings. If you need to gain weight, eat the maximum number of servings. And, keep in mind as to what constitutes a serving. Most serving sizes are smaller than you think. Be sure to read the food labels carefully to determine the accurate portion size.

Also, try to choose nonfat and lean foods as often as possible. For example, choose nonfat or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk; lean meat instead of fatty meat; and breads and cereals that are not processed with a lot of fat.

But you don't have to completely avoid all foods that have fat, cholesterol, or sodium. It's your average over a few days, not in a single food or even a single meal that's important. If you eat a high-fat food or meal, balance your intake by choosing low-fat foods the rest of the day or the next day. Read the food labels on everything you eat to help you "budget" your fat, cholesterol, and sodium over several days.