Fuel Your Body Right: A Beginner's Guide to Healthy Eating

At Primecare Family Practice, board-certified family practitioners Maryline Ongangi, APRN, FNP-C, and Lewis Nyantika, APRN, FNP-C, understand that knowing what to eat and how much of it can be a tricky process, which is why they’ve put together this basic guide to healthy eating. Here’s what you need to know.

What are the food groups?

Food can be divided into five large categories, and you need to eat from each of them. However, you need to be selective about which foods from the groups you rely on, as some are healthier than others. The five groups include:

1. Vegetables and legumes/beans

Almost everything in this group is healthy, and you should eat robustly from it. Choices include green leafy vegetables, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, kidney beans, chickpeas, and legumes like lentils and tofu, among many others. Make sure you consume some vegetables with every meal. You can also snack on things like carrots and celery instead of sugary treats.

2. Fruits

Fruits are also generally healthy and have a high water content to keep you hydrated. Some fruits, though, like grapes and pineapple, contain a lot of sugar, so you should eat these in moderation.

3. Protein

Protein is a key component of our diet, and our bodies need it to build things like muscle, but not all protein is the same. Red meat, organ meats, pork, and eggs contain a lot of fat and cholesterol; too much of these can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

In addition, highly processed deli meats also contain saturated and trans fats and chemicals like nitrates that aren’t healthy. Eat these only in moderation and skip them if you can.

Instead, opt for lean sources of protein, like chicken or turkey without the skin, fish that contain healthy fats (e.g., sardines, mackerel), beans, and legumes.

4. Dairy

Dairy also contains some healthy options and some not-so-healthy options. Stay away from full-fat dairy like 4% milk or cottage cheese. Instead, choose low-fat or nonfat options like milk, cheese, and plain yogurt (flavored yogurt has a lot of added sugar). You can jazz up your yogurt by adding fresh berries or other fruits to it.

5. Grains

Grains include things like bread, pasta, cereal, and a variety of baked goods. Like meat and dairy, though, not all grains are healthy. When you can, opt for whole grains instead of refined grains (e.g. whole wheat bread and pasta, fiber-containing cereal, oatmeal), and stay away from sweet treats like sugar-filled cakes and cereals.

Many sweetbreads and other highly processed baked goodies also contain lots of unhealthy trans fats, so eat these only on special occasions.

How much of each group should I eat?

Knowing what to eat is only part of the story; the other part is how much of each type of food you should consume to get all the nutrition your body needs to function well.

Make sure to eat the right amount of calories for your level of activity, so you balance the energy you take in with the energy you use. If you consume more than your body needs, you’ll start to gain weight.

Men should consume around 2,500 calories a day, while women should have around 2,000 calories a day. Again, this will vary depending on your level of activity.

Recommendations for food consumption include:

Starchy carbohydrates: should make up just one-third of what you eat. Include at least one starchy food with each main meal.

Fruits and veggies: at least five servings a day; can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced.

Fish: at least two portions a week, at least one of which is oily fish. Canned and smoked fish are usually high in salt.

Fats: too much saturated fat can increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. Men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day; women should have no more than 20g a day. Choose unsaturated fat-containing foods like vegetable oil, oily fish, and avocado.

Salt: too much can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk for heart disease or stroke. Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) per day.

Want to learn more about how to eat a healthy diet? Primecare Family Practice can help. Call the office at 817-873-3710 to schedule, or book online with us today.