Healthy Eating and Exercise

The Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend mixing up your choices within each food group:

Focus on Fruits: Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried – rather than fruit juice for most fruit choices.  For a 2,000 calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit a day (for example, 1 banana, 1 large orange, ¼ cup of dried apricots or peaches).

Vary your Veggies: Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweetpotatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils.

Get your Calcium-Rich Foods: Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk – or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (11/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk) every day.  If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium fortified foods and beverages.

Make Half your Grains Whole Grains: Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day.  Once ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.  Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats or corn are referred to as “whole” in the list of ingredients 

Go Lean with Protein: Choose lean meats and poultry.  Bake it, broil it, or grill it.  And vary your protein choices – with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds. 

Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars.  Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods.  Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats.  Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweetners).

 Older Adults may require more or less of certain nutrients.  It is a good idea to consult your doctor about your specific dietary needs.

From “Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans” , pages 3, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture; www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.