Use the nutrition-facts panel and ingredients list when choosing foods to buy. Be on the lookout for sodium, sugar and fat content, particularly Trans fats.
Eat fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables and fruits without high-calorie sauces and added salt in sugars. Avoid high-fat cream sauces and toppings. Accustom your taste buds to less salt.
Replace high-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables. You can eat a larger volume of fruits and vegetables than you can of higher-calorie food.
Eat beans; whole grains products, fruits and vegetables to increase fiber in take.
Fiber will help you feel fuller, but drink plenty of water to avoid uncomfortable gas.
Use liquid vegetable oils in place of solid fats. Solid fats like lard or shortenings contains large mount of saturated fats; hydrogenated vegetable oils usually contains harmful Trans fats.
Limit beverages and foods high in added sugars from sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrups, honey and concentrated fruit juice. Know the various names of sugars and then substitute with no-sugar-added products.
Cut back on pastries and high-calorie bakery products such as muffins and doughnuts. Eat a piece of raw fruits or a serving of low-fats flavored yogurt to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Choose food made with whole grains– such as whole wheat, oats/oatmeal, rye, barley, corn, pop corn, brown rice, wild rice, buck whet, bulgar(cracked wheat) and millet. These foods are high in protein and fiber and can be use to replace animal protein.
Select milk and dairy products that are either fat free or low fat. But be careful of added sugar.
Use lean cuts of meat and remove skin from poultry before eating. To keep these foods low in fat, avoid frying them.
Limit processed meats that are high in saturated fat and sodium, sausage and luncheon meats are especially high in sodium.
Grill, bake or broil fish, meat, and poultry. And sip high fat condiments like tartar sauce or cream sauces.
Incorporate vegetable-based meat substitutes into favorite recipes. Tofu, tempeh and other forms of soy protein can be used alone or with vegetable in stir-fried dishes, as well as spaghetti and chili.
Encourage the consumption of whole vegetables and fruits instead of juices. You’ll get less sugar and more fiber.
Reduce salt intake by choosing the processed foods and brands with less salt and by limiting condiments such as soy sauce and ketch up. Check the label for sodium content and aim for no more than 2400mg per day.
Avoid all foods containing less Trans fats. Trans fats are not just found in most margarine but are also prevalent in many snack foods containing partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated products. These harmful fats have been shown to raise LDL (so-called bad) cholesterol and lower good HDL (so-called good) cholesterol, which increase the risk of developing heart disease.