Healthy Eating

Eat Whole Grains

• Snack on whole grain cereals, crackers, and popcorn with little or no added salt and butter.
• Choose foods that name “whole”-grain, brown rice, or oatmeal first on the label’s ingredient list.
• Foods labeled with the words "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products.
• Color is not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.

Half Your Plate Should be Fruits and Veggies

• Cut-up fruit makes a great snack. Either cut them yourself, or buy pre-cut packages of fruit pieces like pineapples or melons. Or, try whole fresh berries or grapes.
• Dried fruits also make a great snack on the go, in your desk or car, or a packed lunch. A ¼ cup is equivalent to ½ cup of other fruits.
• Frozen juice bars (100% juice) make healthy alternatives to high-fat snacks.
• Keep a bowl of whole fruit on the table, counter, or in the refrigerator. Seasonal fruit is less expensive.

Use Fat Free and Low Fat Dairy Products

• When recipes call for sour cream, substitute plain yogurt.
• Add fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals and when making condensed cream soups (such as cream of tomato).
• Parents who drink milk and eat dairy foods show their kids that it is important.

Go Lean with Protein

• Choose beans, peas, nuts or soy products as a main dish or part of a meal often. Use nuts to replace meat or poultry, not in addition.
• Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” Trim away all of the visible fat and drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying. Breading adds calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.