According to Dr. William Braun, Professor and Chair of Exercise Science at Shippensburg University, choosing whole foods over processed food can drastically lower your intake of harmful sodium, sugars, and preservatives. SPO’s mission is to provide nutrition options and promote a healthy lifestyle. Here are some basic nutritional tips that may help.
Dietary Recommendations for Adults
“How much should I eat?” This is a common question asked by most adults. These dietary guidelines for Americans can help you plan your diet and control your nutrition
Eat a variety of foods:
- Fruits: 2 cups per day
- Vegetables: 2 ½ cups per day
- Nonfat and low-fat dairy products: 3 cups per day
- Whole-grain breads, cereal, pasta, starchy vegetables and beans: 6 ounces per day
- Lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, and nuts: 6 ounces per day
Eat foods low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol:
Lowering your cholesterol and saturated fat intake will help reduce your risk of heart problems. Fat intake should be 25-35% of calories each day, and saturated fat should be less than 10% of daily calories. You should avoid trans fats when possible; more of your fat should come from the good fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. They include nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils. Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mg per day.
Eat moderate amounts of sugar:
Sugar is often higher in calories. Too much sugar can lead to dental cavities and weight gain.
Reduce the amount of salt and sodium:
You can greatly reducing the amount of salt and sodium in your diet by not including it on the table. You should also cook with garlic and fresh or dried herbs. These work well on vegetables, meats, and in soups. As a rule of thumb, you should limit your sodium to less than 2,300mg per day. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, you should limit sodium to less than 1,500mg per day. This also applies to all African Americans or those 51 and older. Remember: 1 teaspoon of salt = 2,400 mg.
Find out more at ChooseMyPlate.gov
