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We hear all sorts of different phases around eating healthy, what does eating healthy really mean? Some may say it is a vegan diet, some may say Mediterranean diet and others may like the Keto, so how do we really know what a healthy eating habit consists of?
This is how the CDC describes a healthy eating habit.
· Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
· Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
· Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
· Stays within your daily calorie needs
Then The American Heart Association describes it as.
INCLUDE
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Beans and legumes
Nuts and seeds
Fish (preferably oily fish with omega-3 fatty acids)
Skinless poultry and lean animal proteins
Plant-based proteins
LIMIT
Sweetened drinks
Sodium and salty foods
Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol
Fatty or processed red meats – if you choose to eat meat, select leaner cuts
Refined carbohydrates like added sugars and processed grain foods
Full-fat dairy products
Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil
AVOID
Trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils - found in some commercially baked and fried foods.
Now here are two big names that should have a good handle on health, the CDC and The American Heart association. But do these people get it wrong sometimes? Yes, they do. The four food groups, the food pyramid, milk making our bones healthy. If you are my age, you have seen changes in what is considered healthy and now is not.
But if you notice both of these have the start with fruits and vegetables, then whole grains and beans, then lighter is the lean meats. But no where do you see how things are processes. The best way to look at eating healthy is learning how to read the ingredients, find foods with little or no ingredients, watch the switch between fats and carbs. Many times, you will see a product have more salt or sugar to reduce the fat, or more fat to reduce the carbs. If we are eating fresh fruits and vegetables, there is no processing. Meats are the same.
The way I look at it, the more original to how it grows the better, the less added process ingredients the better. Natural whole foods are a much better way to look at eating healthy.
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