| Creating a healthy diet has become as | | | | there are exceptions, vegetables are |
| difficult as searching for the Holy | | | | thought of as being savory, and not |
| Grail. There are so many people out | | | | sweet, fruits refer to those plants that |
| there joining in on the weight loss | | | | are sweet and fleshy. Vegetable juice |
| craze that the average person is | | | | is also a member of the vegetable group |
| overwhelmed with choices. Marketers | | | | and 100% fruit juice counts as part of |
| would have you believe that you cannot | | | | the fruit group. The USDA has |
| have a healthy diet that supports weight | | | | vegetables organized into 5 subgroups: |
| loss with out their product. You see | | | | dark green vegetables, starchy |
| them every day promoting their specially | | | | vegetables, orange vegetables, dry and |
| prepared meals, fantastic new | | | | other vegetables. A list of the |
| supplements or weird new diets that seem | | | | vegetables contained in each of these |
| to pop up every year. How on earth did | | | | subgroups can be found on the following |
| primitive man survive with out all of | | | | USDA webpage ( Nuts, grains, herbs and |
| these new scientific innovations in the | | | | spices are not considered fruit or |
| food industry? | | | | vegetable. |
| Don't believe all the hype. Creating a | | | | - lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, |
| healthy diet is not nearly as | | | | eggs, and nuts |
| complicated as they want you to think. | | | | Lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, |
| For instants, color is an indicator of | | | | nuts and beans are all good sources of |
| the nutrients in our food so eating | | | | proteins. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain |
| healthy can be as simple as eating a | | | | healthy oils, so these foods may be |
| colorful meal. Or you can choose | | | | chosen instead of meat or poultry. |
| something from each food group to create | | | | - fat-free or low-fat milk and milk |
| a healthy meal. The United States | | | | products. |
| Department of Agriculture (USDA) has | | | | Milk, and milk products are considered |
| combined these two thoughts to update | | | | dairy products. Foods made from milk |
| the Food Pyramid by color coding food | | | | that retain their calcium content are |
| groups. According to the USDA a healthy | | | | part of the milk group, while foods made |
| diet should emphasizes | | | | from milk that have little to no |
| - whole grains | | | | calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, |
| Foods which fall into the grain food | | | | and butter, are not. |
| group are wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, | | | | And finally a healthy diet should be low |
| barley or another cereal grain. These | | | | in saturated fats, trans fats, |
| may be either whole grains which contain | | | | cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added |
| the entire grain kernel (ie. the bran, | | | | sugars." |
| germ, and endosperm) or refined grains | | | | These are the basics to a healthy diet |
| which have been processed to removes the | | | | and all the information you need can be |
| bran and germ. This gives grains a | | | | gotten from free sources like the USDA. |
| finer texture and improve their shelf | | | | In the same time it takes you to |
| life, but it also removes dietary fiber, | | | | implement someone else's meal plan you |
| iron, and many B vitamins. | | | | can create your own. Just keep in mind |
| - fruits and vegetables | | | | two straightforward rules of thumb, |
| In reference to food, fruits and | | | | everything in moderation and keep it |
| vegetables are generally refers to as | | | | simple. |
| the edible part of plants. Although | | | | |