Smart dietary guidelines for weight loss

The American Heart Association updated its recommended dietary guidelines in 2000. These guidelines are suitable for most adults.

•     Eat five or more fresh fruits and vegetables each day.

•     Eat six or more servings of grains (preferably whole grains) each day.

•     Eat fat-free and low-fat dairy, legumes, seafood, and lean meats.

•     Avoid foods with more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.

•     Balance your caloric intake with your energy expenditure.

•     Limit junk food, which is high in simple carbohydrates and low in nutrition.

•     Limit foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

•     Eat less than six grams of salt each day.

General food preparation and meal planning tips:
.         Try to eat servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal. Besides being delicious, they are full of nutrients and fibre. They may even help prevent certain cancers.
.         Boil, steam, bake, roast, or broil foods rather than frying in fat.
.         Use unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oils, rather than saturated fats such as butter.
.         Use olive oil spray rather than cooking oils to prepare foods.
.         Eat white meat chicken or turkey, lean meat, fish, or seafood. Trim the skin from poultry.
.         Use low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
.         To season foods, choose lemon or lime juice, vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, plain tomato sauce, salsa and other sauces low in fat. Use garlic, onions, ginger, and herbs and spices to flavour foods.
.         Avoid high-fat and high-calorie condiments such as mayonnaise, oil, salad dressing, or prepared sauces. To satisfy hunger between meals, eat unlimited quantities of celery, lettuce, mushrooms, green or red peppers, asparagus, cauliflower, cucumber, and broccoli.

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