The characteristics of a healthy diet and the challenge associated with choosing the right foods

A healthy diet consists of four major components. The first of which is balancing calories to maintain a healthy bodyweight. The second is reducing sodium, saturated and trans-fatty acids, cholesterol, solid fats, added sugars, refined grain products, and alcoholic beverages.  The third element to a healthy diet is to increase fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products, and protein foods to your meals. Lastly, make sure you create a healthy eating pattern that includes the necessary energy and nutrients needed for you to maintain a healthy body.

Choosing the correct foods can be easier said than done.   Balancing calories is not just about trying to consume 2,000 or less calories each day. This objective also includes increasing physical activities. If you are already overweight, the goal is to consume fewer calories than what is consumed. Let us look at sugary soft drinks. Approximately sixty percent of Americans consume at least one sugary drink per day (Lumpkin, 2013). One twelve-ounce can of Coca Cola contains 140 calories. Imagine what a 7-Eleven 32 ounce Big Gulp can do to a diet. One 16-ounce bottle of soda is close to ten percent of the total calories one should consume in a day.

In addition to soda, fast food is another enemy of a healthy diet. A staggering twenty-five percent of Americans eat fast-food everyday (Lumpkin, 2013). Suppose you order a Big Mac, medium fries, and a medium Coke from McDonalds for lunch. A Big Mac has 540 calories, a medium order of fries has 380 calories, and a medium 16-ounce coke has 150 calories. This combination falls in the middle of the McDonalds menu for calorie content at 1,070 calories and 48 grams of fat. For a standard 2,000 calories diet, it does not leave much room for a breakfast, snack, and dinner.

http://www.fastfood.com/nutrition/index.php?rest=McDonalds

I have just mentioned an example of a bad diet plan; here are the keys to a good diet plan. First, try to eat a variety of dark-green, red, and orange vegetables. Secondly, replace refined grains with whole grains. In addition, increase your intake of low-fat milk and milk products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified milk products. Choosing a variety of protein foods can also create a healthier diet. Choose foods, such as seafood, lean meat, poultry, eggs, bean, peas, soy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds. Seafood is preferred over other protein sources of meat and poultry. Lastly, choose foods that are high in potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. These nutrients can be found in vegetables, fruits, whole, grains, and milk products (United States Department of Agriculture & Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).

 

 

Lumpkin, A. (2013). Scaling adult obesity. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 93(1), 25. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1318533391?accountid=32521

            United States Department of Agriculture, & Department of Health and Human Services. (2010, 

December). 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Retrieved August 23, 2013, from 2010 Dietary Guidelines  website: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf