Healthy eating patterns support a healthy body weight and can help prevent and reduce the risk of chronic disease during periods of growth, development, and aging as well as during pregnancy. The following principles apply to meeting the key recommendations:
- Lots of vegetables that are dark green, red and orange, beans, and others
- Fruit, especially whole fruits
- Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or soy drinks
- Different kinds of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, nuts, and seeds
- Oils like olive, sunflower, and corn
Foods to Limit
Eat less of the foods below:
- Saturated and trans fats – Consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats
- Added sugars – Consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars
- Salt – Consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium
