Contents
Nutrition Fundamentals
How to Understand Calories
How to Understand Nutrients
The Right Balance of Nutrients
The Food Groups
How to Eat a Nutritious Diet Based on the Food Groups
Functional Foods
Healthy Eating at Home
How to Read Nutrition Labels
Healthy Eating Away from Home
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Healthy Eating Away from Home
Even if you’re eating at a restaurant, a party, or somewhere else on the go, it’s still possible to eat healthy foods like you would at home. All it takes is a little advance planning.
Healthy Eating at Restaurants
You can eat well in any restaurant as long as you follow these five dos and don’ts:
Five Dos of Restaurant Eating |
Five Don’ts of Restaurant Eating |
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Go to places with big menus. The larger the menu, the more likely you are to find something healthy to eat. |
Don’t skip meals. Saving room so you can gorge while dining out is not a healthy way to eat. |
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Ask for substitutions. Order steamed vegetables instead of white rice, or a baked potato instead of fries. |
Avoid buffets. People tend to eat up to 30% more at buffets than they eat at regular restaurants or at home. |
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Ask for dressings and sauces on the side to control how much of them you eat. |
Don’t clean your plate: if you can’t bring yourself to leave food behind, ask to take it home. |
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Order water or other unsweetened drinks. Sweetened drinks offer no nutrients and contain empty calories. |
Don’t order anything with “super,” “double,” or “ultimate” in the name, because that usually means extra-large portions. |
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Be adventurous. Good nutrition isn’t about limiting your choices—it’s about trying new nutritious foods cooked in a healthy way. |
Don’t rush—it takes twenty minutes for your brain to get the signal that your stomach is full. Savor your food. Eating slowly will help you eat less. |
Healthy Eating at Parties
It can be difficult to eat healthy at parties:
- Typical party foods, such as candy, chips, dip, chicken wings, and cheese, are high in solid fats and added sugars.
- Parties encourage unconscious eating, in which you move your hand to your mouth almost automatically, without thinking about what you’re eating or even noticing that you’re doing it.
To eat healthy at parties, follow these tips:
- Always eat before a party: If you don’t eat all day, you’re more likely to overeat once you get to the party.
- Don’t stand near the food: If there’s a buffet or a table set with food, serve yourself a small plate and then walk away from the table. If you aren’t near the food, you won’t succumb to unconscious eating.
- Avoid high-fat condiments: Avoid mayonnaise, heavy cream, and other fatty condiments and dips in favor of healthier options, such as mustard and guacamole.
- Drink plenty of water and consume alcohol in moderation: Alcohol is high in empty calories and makes you dehydrated and tired.
- Prioritize the party above the food: Concentrate on enjoying the company and make the food a complement to the event.
Healthy Eating on the Go
Even if you’re on the run, you can still choose nutrient-dense foods.
Where? |
What to Avoid |
What to Choose |
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Fast-food restaurants |
Fried foods, hamburgers,
pastries, fries, onion rings, deep-dish pizza |
Grilled chicken and turkey
sandwiches, vegetable wraps, child-size meals, baked potatoes (without the sour cream), thin-crust pizza |
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Vending machines |
Chips, candy bars, cookies, sandwich crackers, snack cakes |
Pretzels, granola bars, nuts, trail mix, fig bars, whole wheat crackers |
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On the road |
Chips, fried foods, large burgers, salads loaded with dressing |
Plain burgers, bagels, cereal bars, cheese and crackers, juice, turkey sandwiches, low-fat string cheese |
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
