- Eat a breakfast that includes 100% fruit juice and a piece of fruit along with cereal, yogurt, waffles or pancakes.
- When you go grocery shopping, hit the produce section first. Then keep bowls of fruit on the kitchen table and counter.
- If you must use butter and margarine, use them sparingly. Even better, switch to reduced-fat margarine or try jelly on your bread, bagels, and other baked goods.
- Use "lite" or low-fat dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese, yogurt, or sour cream).
- When you make or buy a salad, a little bit of salad dressing goes a long way. Measure 1 tablespoon of dressing and toss well with your salad. The dressing coats the salad instead of drenching it.
- There’s no reason to give up eating meat, but you can help reduce fat by choosing the leanest cuts such as beef round, sirloin, pork loin chops, turkey, chicken and roasts.
- Fried foods taste great, but are not great for you. Use oils sparingly (try olive and canola oils). Bake chicken without the skin. Substitute a potato for french fries.
- Make your own snacks by packing healthy, quick, and easy-to-grab foods such as little bags or containers of ready-to-eat vegetables (e.g., celery sticks, cucumber wedges, and cherry tomatoes). Or make healthier choices on snacks that are store bought, like pretzels.
- When eating deserts, cut down on portion size, substitute low-fat or fat-free baked goods, cookies and ice cream or choose fruit.
- When dining out or ordering in, ask for half of a serving or a "doggy bag." That way you won’t be as full, and you can have some tomorrow.
- When ordering fast food, order a lean roast beef sandwich, order grilled chicken sandwiches and add your own fixings, keep portions to regular and small (no double anything) and order items without the cheese.
- Try these Healthy Summer Recipes
Provided by the United States Department of Agriculture
