Top 10 Healthy Food Rules -
Guidelines for Americans

What are the 10 healthy food rules? And what do they really mean?

It only took 13 top scientists, and the expertise of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) combined with the USDA to tell us Americans that we need to eat more vegetables, make our portions smaller, and exercise. Wow. Perhaps I should ask them to solve the mystery of why my dryer eats socks, or how a library book ended up in my mother’s oven broiler pan (yes, true story for another day).

I now apologize for the sock and book comment above.

The report is very thoughtful, packed with research to support their ideas. Indeed these top 13 scientists have some important observations on America’s obesity problem, and solutions that make a lot of sense. I agree with their healthy food rules.

Every 5 years since 1980, the HHS and USDA publish guidelines of what we should be eating. They create a proposal and allow feedback before the guidelines become final at the end of 2010.

When I delved into the information, I experienced the same frustration that I do with many “guidelines”.

They don’t come with a how-to guide.

On days when I don’t have time to comb my hair, I’m not going to figure out what the HHS and USDA had in mind when they told me to eat “nutrient dense food”. Wait until I tell Mr. Wonderful we are having Nutrient Dense Food for dinner. He’ll probably think I borrowed NASA’s cookbook for the International Space Station. Can I convince him that we are having dinner that is out of this world? Probably not.

But perhaps that’s why diets fail, and so many American children and adults are obese. It is simply overwhelming to figure out where to start and what to do.

Here’s the breakdown of what the guidelines said translated into healthy food rules, and what you can do NOW to start getting healthier.

10 Healthy Food Rules

One way to start: Eat from smaller plates. Use your hands to measure: a portion is the size of your fist. Click here for more ideas that don’t even involved food!

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Start here: Put out a raw veggie plate with baby carrots, red peppers, baby tomatoes with some hummus dip.

3. Eat more “plant based” foods such as beans and nuts.

Start here: try this black bean salad , serve with baked tortilla chips

4. Eat more fish

Start here: Try some fish Veracruz for dinner tonight. Worried about mercury in fish? Try Nordic Naturals Omega-3 supplements for the whole family.

5. Drink milk and eat yogurt, in low fat and fat free varieties

Start here: Try this oatmeal yogurt muesli for breakfast

6. Eat moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, and eggs

Start here: There are 29 cuts of lean beef , try one in a healthy “vinegar dinner”.

7. Reduce the amount of sugar and solid fats.

Start here: Empty your pantry and kitchen of anything with high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. This will eliminated most processed foods from your diet, which is a huge problem for most Americans.

8. Significantly reduce the salt in your diet.

High sodium diets are simply bad for our bodies. Too much salt can lead to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke

Start here: To eliminate salt:

• Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned "with no salt added" vegetables.
• Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
• Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium
• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

9. Eliminate white grains with fat and sugar (White bread and donuts) Eat whole grains instead.

Start here: Remove white bread and buns from your diet, and buy whole grain varieties. Try Thomas whole grain English Muffins with peanut butter for a fast healthy breakfast.

10. Prepare your meals at home instead of eating out.

Start here: pick something from the 2 week menu that is fast and easy to prepare. See how much better you feel when you eat from your home kitchen for a week!

And one of the extra healthy food rules that really isn’t about food, but necessary for your good health.

Exercise

Start here: Exercise with friends: find a group you like through a Masters program for adults and the community center for your kids.

Want to make a comment on the guidelines? Click here to provide feedback to the USDA.

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