What to Eat Daily to Stay Fit & Healthy

Eating to stay fit and healthy is easy once you learn how to avoid the temptation of junk food. A healthy eating plan varies by age, sex, and by the desire to lose or maintain weight.

Calories

Figure out how many calories you need to stay at (or reach) a healthy body weight. If you are overweight, you need to burn off more calories than you eat until you reach your desired weight.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain many minerals, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants to help your body stay lean, fight off sickness and prevent chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Ideally you should be consuming at least five servings or more of fruits and vegetables daily.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are an excellent source of nutrition. With their high fiber content, they can make you feel full longer to help reduce hunger pangs. Many pastas, breads, cereals and rice are available in whole grain versions. Eat at least six, half-cup to whole-cup servings daily to maintain a healthy weight.

Dairy and Protein

For bone health the average adult needs to consume at least two servings of dairy products a day. This can be anything from milk and yogurt (one cup equals a serving) to cheese (one to two ounces in a serving).

Protein is tricky. Typically adults need at least two, three-ounce servings of protein daily. However, you must be careful in your protein choices. Try to get your protein sources from white meats such as fish, turkey or chicken. Nuts are also a good source of protein. Red meat is a good source of quality protein, but comes with a lot of saturated fat. Use in moderation.

Beverages

Water should be a big part of your daily diet. The average adult needs at least six, eight-ounce glasses of water a day to stay properly hydrated. This is a requirement that is easy to stray from with all the soda and caffeinated beverages on the market today. Try to limit your intake of caffeine drinks and alcoholic beverages and increase your water intake.

References

• The American Heart Association
• The American Cancer Society
• www.health.gov