Healthy Eating Tips

#1 Use color as your guide for choosing fruits and vegetables. Aim for 1 to 2 cups of fruit per day and 4 to 8 cups vegetables per day.

Green: Provides vitamins like folic acid, minerals, fiber and antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids. Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts) contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that may decrease cancer risk.

Orange/Yellow: Contain Vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants like beta-carotene and minerals. Carrots, sweet potatoes, orange, apricots and mangoes are rich in these nutrients and may reduce the risk of heart disease and prevent certain birth defects such as neural tube defects and other malformations.

Red: Tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate, pink grapefruit.  Papayas provide antioxidants like lycopene and reduce the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer.

Blue/Purple: Contain phytonutrients that decrease the risk for heart disease and cancer. Choose blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, beets, plums/prunes.

White: Garlic, onions and leeks have been shown to decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

#2 It's best not to shop when you're really hungry since you're more likely to pick up items that look tempting.

#3 Prepare a shopping list for the same reason as #2.

#4 Some white cheeses such as mozzarella, goat, feta or lite Jarlsberg cheese (if made from part-skin milk) will have fewer calories and fat than cheeses made from whole milk.

#5 When it comes to breakfast and lunch meats, avoid salami, pastrami, and other high-fat deli meats. Lean turkey and chicken lunch meats and even turkey pastrami and turkey ham are much better choices.