Consume at least half of your daily fruit choices as whole fruits, such as fresh, frozen, cooked, dried, or canned in 100% fruit juice.
Choose 100% fruit juice instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as energy drinks, flavored waters, fruit drinks, soft drinks, and sports drinks.
Try fruit as snacks, salads, side dishes, and desserts.
Vegetables
Eat more colorful vegetables in various forms, such as fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% vegetable juices.
Buy frozen vegetables without butter or sauce. Or try low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables.
Try vegetables as snacks, salads, and side dishes, and incorporate vegetables into main dishes.
Grains
Consume at least half of your total grain choices as whole grains, such as whole wheat, whole oats, and brown rice. Whole grains are a source of important vitamins and minerals and are typically high in fiber, too.
Switch from refined to whole grain versions of commonly consumed foods, such as breads, cereals, pasta, and rice.
Limit refined grains, especially those high in calories, saturated fat, added sugars, and/or sodium, such as cakes, chips, cookies, and crackers.
Dairy
Substitute fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) dairy products (such as cheese, milk, and yogurt) or fortified soy beverages for regular or full-fat (whole) dairy products.
Limit dairy desserts, especially those high in calories, saturated fat, and added sugars, such as ice cream, other frozen desserts, and pudding.
Protein
Eat a variety of protein foods, such as beans, peas, eggs, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean meats and poultry, seafood, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Choose seafood and plant sources of protein, such as beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds in place of some meats and poultry.
Add beans or peas to salads, soups, and side dishes, or serve them as a main dish.
Snack on a small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds rather than chips or salty snack foods.
Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Sugars
Choose fresh meats, poultry, and seafood rather than processed varieties.
Switch from stick margarine to soft margarine (liquid, tub, and spray).
Look for light, low sodium, reduced sodium, or no-salt-added versions of packaged foods, snacks, and condiments when available.
Limit desserts, savory snacks, and sweets, such as cakes, chips, candies, cookies, crackers, ice cream, and microwave popcorn.
Consume smaller portions of foods and beverages that are higher in saturated fat, sodium, and sugars, or consume them less often.
Helpful Meal Preparation Tips
Try baking, broiling, grilling, or steaming. These cooking methods do not add extra fat.
Trim or drain fat from meats before or after cooking and remove poultry skin before cooking or eating.
Cook and bake with liquid oils, such as canola or olive oil, instead of solid fats, such as butter, lard, or shortening.
Prepare your own food when you can and limit packaged sauces, mixes, and “instant” products, including flavored rice, instant noodles, and ready-made pasta.
Limit the amount of salt and sugar you add when cooking, baking, or eating.
Flavor foods with herbs and spices and no-salt seasoning blends instead of salt.
Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as tuna, vegetables, and beans before eating.
When eating out, ask how your food is being prepared. You can also request to see nutrition information, which is available at many chain restaurants.
