Keep It Simple

Keep it colorful! Use fresh garden produce when available.

With all the conflicting information on what to eat, trying to improve your health and your diet can be confusing. Over the course of my lifetime, I think I have heard just about everything: don’t eat red meat; don’t eat cheese; cut fats out of your diet; eat fats – not carbohydrates; and the list goes on.

When it comes down to it, keeping things simple is the best approach of all. Here are a few simple tips to improve your nutrition each day:

• Balance is basic. Try to include all food groups at each meal, three times each day for steady energy. Tip: Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, one-fourth with grains (at least half of them who grains) and one-fourth with protein. This is basically the same recommendations as USDA's "My Plate."
• Color is power. Dark green, deep red, and bright orange fruits and vegetables are protective by nature – enjoy at least two cups of fruit and two and one-half cups of vegetables daily. This time of year, with all the garden produce that is available, there are so many great choices! Tip: Garnish meals with an extra carrot or slice of fruit.
• Size counts. Keep servings and your weight in check. Tip: Rather than totally cutting out your favorite foods, just reduce their portions and frequency. (I really like this one! I can still eat that fudge brownie once in a while.)
• Friendly fats are on the menu. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your heart. You need fat in your diet. Your body and your brain do not function well without it. Tip: Cook with extra virgin olive oil.

God has given each of us only one body. Good nutrition takes effort, but it is well worth it. 

Check out our other articles and please share your comments with us! We would love to hear your thoughts, your story, or your healthy recipe!

HealthyU is being brought to you by SHIP, Polk County Public Health, the City of Fosston, Essentia Health, and several other private partners. Launched in 2008 as part of Minnesota’s bipartisan health reform effort, SHIP works to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives while building healthy, vital communities. SHIP encourages healthy eating, active living, and avoiding commercial tobacco by working with schools, communities, workplaces, and healthcare to make healthy choices easier.