Great Food Switch Outs

Why try to swap out fast food for healthier fare? Well, if you’re an athlete, your performance can be significantly enhanced if you switch out high fat, high salt, very sugary foods for healthier foods. If you want to have better academic performance, switch out sodas and fries and donuts for high fiber whole grains and lean proteins – foods that will boost your mental energy and keep your blood sugar stabilized, so you can focus in class and be at your best when you take tests. If you are struggling with weight issues, switch out high fat, sugary coffee drinks and white breads, processed foods for better food choices – high fiber cereals, fruits and vegetables, water - that can help to keep you feeling full while consuming less calories. What you eat can also impact the health of your skin, how your breath smells, your mood and even how well you age. So which foods are the food superstars?

Fruits and vegetables – eat a variety of color so you get the benefits of a variety of vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytonutrients.
Grains – eat whole grain cereals, breads, rice, pasta, potatoes (not fried)
Dairy – choose 1% fat and fat free products to reduce your intake of saturated fat
Proteins – eat lean cuts of red meat occasionally, white skinless meats, nuts, plant-based proteins, fish, eggs
Fats – avoid trans fats (in processed foods) and try to limit saturated fats – choose monounsaturated fats like olive oil, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids (from fish and flaxseed)

Also remember that even when you eat healthy food, you still need to watch portion sizes.