By:
Darren Rieck
Improving your diet and eating fewer unhealthy foods isn't really that difficult. There is no need to consult a nutritionist or read the latest health food book either. Besides all of the free information all over the Internet, which could make anybody a virtual expert, your grocery store along with product labels offer a plethora of information.
Start by looking at labels of the foods before you put them in your cart. There are always several different options of choices available for you to look through for comparison purposes. In addition to the other contents, each label provides the number of total calories, the amount of fat (including saturated fats), carbohydrates and protein. Make your choice by looking at the list of ingredients and putting it back if the list looks like a paragraph, as the contents are most likely filled with unnatural, unnecessary additives that are guaranteed to impede your good, healthier eating intentions.
The most important comparison is the number of calories per serving; then look at where those calories are derived from. If there is a high fat content, especially considering trans-fats which have been given much attention lately as they are the worst fats for you, steer clear and put it back on the shelf.
Another big issue is the percent of protein contained in each serving of the product. Unlike many recent fad diets, which concentrate on lowering your carbs, your main concern for protein is that you get at least 60 grams each day. This is what your body needs for optimal health, while lowering your carbs should simply be looked at as eating less food as most foods in the American diet are carbohydrate based. Complex carbohydrate foods are usually the healthiest for you and are found in fruits and vegetables. Be sure to choose fresh fruits and vegetables over canned products. If you do choose the canned variety, look for lower sodium and opt for either packed in water, natural juices or light syrup, always trying to avoid heavy syrup.
Simple carbs from refined products are the number 1 empty calories (foods with low nutritional value) problem foods and need to be limited in your overall daily diet. The easiest solution to not eating the empty calorie foods is to not purchase them in the first place. That forces you to eat them only in rare occasions. Another important way to lower calories is to not purchase prepared snack foods like potato chips, pretzels and other snack packed foods that do not require refrigeration.
Stores frequently carry pre-packaged salads and prepared vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, making it easier to quickly put together a healthy salad or snack. Try to buy a pack of pre-sliced carrot sticks to substitute for a less healthy snack you are trying to avoid; you may be surprised how easy it is to make the switch!
As far as soda pop, try to avoid it all together, even if it is a diet version. Look through the juice isle instead, and when choosing juices, be sure to read the label and make sure there is no high fructose corn syrup and that the juice is 100% juice. This alone may be one of the biggest diet changes that you can make toward better eating.
Following these ideas will make great strides in getting you going in the right direction.
HEALTHandFITNESS.com 
