Maintaining a Healthy Weight on the Go a Pocket Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Aim for a Healthy Weight Maintaining a Healthy Weight On the Go A Pocket Guide Aim for a Healthy Weight Maintaining a Healthy Weight On the Go A Pocket Guide NIH Publication No. 14-7415 Originally printed April 2010 Reprinted February 2013, August 2014 Introduction Importance of Making metabolism, behavior, and environ- Healthier Choices While ment. Maintaining a healthy weight Eating On the Go requires keeping a balance. You must balance the calories you get from According to the National Restaurant food and beverages (energy IN) with Association, American adults buy the calories you use to keep your a meal or snack from a restaurant body going and being physically 5.8 times a week on average. If you active (energy OUT). are watching your weight, it’s hard to always know what calories, fats, and The same amount of nutrients are in the dishes you order. energy IN and energy OUT The information in this booklet over time = weight stays the same provides tips on how to help you More IN than OUT select healthier options while eating over time = weight gain “on the go” (i.e., dining out or More OUT than IN bringing food in). Using the over time = weight loss information provided on healthy choices will help you maintain a Your energy IN and energy OUT healthy weight. don’t have to balance exactly every day. It’s the balance over time that Why Is a Healthy Weight will help you maintain a healthy Important? weight in the long run. Reaching and maintaining a healthy For many people, this balance means weight is good for your overall eating fewer calories and increasing health. It also may help reduce your their physical activity. Cutting back risk for developing several diseases on calories is a matter of choice. and conditions. Maintaining a Making healthy food choices that are healthy weight has many other lower in fats, especially saturated and benefits, including feeling good about trans fats, as well as cholesterol, yourself and having more energy to sodium (salt), and added sugar, can enjoy life. help you cut back on calories, as can A person’s weight is the result of paying attention to portion size. This many things: height, genes, pocket guide will provide you with 1 Maintaining a Healthy Weight On the Go—A Pocket Guide information to make informed food Healthy Eating Plan choices, particularly when eating on A healthy eating plan includes foods the go, to help you maintain a healthy from all the basic food groups. It is weight. low in saturated fat, trans fat, How To Lose Weight and cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added Maintain It sugar. It contains enough calories for good health, but not so many that you We have all heard the facts . to lose gain weight. (For more information weight, you must eat less and move on the basic food groups, go to more. But this is often easier said http://www.MyPyramid.gov.) than done. Many people make repeated attempts, often using A healthy eating plan: different fad diets and weight loss ■ Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, gimmicks, and are unsuccessful. whole grains, and fat-free or low- fat milk and milk products To be successful at weight loss, you ■ Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, need to adopt a new lifestyle. This beans, eggs, and nuts means making changes such as ■ Is low in saturated fat, trans fat, adopting healthy eating habits, being cholesterol, sodium (salt), and more physically active, and learning added sugar how to change behaviors. ■ Controls portion size 2 Choosing Healthier Foods Foods That Make a which increases the risk of heart Healthy Eating Plan disease. A healthy eating plan is one that ■ Saturated fat is found mainly in gives your body the nutrients it needs fresh and processed meats, every day while staying within your high-fat milk products (such as daily calorie limits. This eating plan cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, also may lower your risk for heart and ice cream), lard, and the disease and conditions such as high coconut and palm oils that can be blood pressure or high blood found in many processed foods. cholesterol. ■ Trans fat is found in foods with Foods that can be eaten more often partially hydrogenated oils, such include those that are lower in as many hard margarines and calories, total fat, saturated and trans shortening, commercially fried fats, cholesterol, and sodium (salt). foods, and some bakery goods. Examples of these foods include ■ Cholesterol is found in foods of fat-free and low-fat milk products; animal origin. Major dietary lean meats, fish, and poultry; sources include egg yolks, organ high-fiber foods such as whole meats, cheese, beef, pork, and grains, breads, and cereals; fruits; and shrimp. It also may be present in vegetables. Canola or olive oils and foods that contain an animal- soft margarines made from these oils based ingredient, such as eggs, are heart healthy and can be used in whole milk, or lard. moderate amounts. Unsalted nuts also can be included in a healthy diet, It’s also important to limit foods and as long as you watch the amount. beverages with added fat and sugar, such as many desserts, canned fruit Foods higher in fat are typically packed in syrup, fruit drinks, and higher in calories. Foods that should sugar-sweetened beverages. These be limited include those with higher foods and beverages will add calories amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, to your diet while providing limited and cholesterol. These particular fats nutritional benefit. may raise blood cholesterol levels, 3 Maintaining a Healthy Weight On the Go—A Pocket Guide Fat Matters, However, eating fat-free or reduced- But Calories Count fat foods isn’t always the answer to reducing your calories. This is A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, especially true when you eat more of whether it comes from fat or the reduced-fat food than you would carbohydrate. Any calories eaten in of the regular item. Many food excess can lead to weight gain. You companies produce fat-free versions can lose weight by eating fewer of foods that have more calories than calories and by increasing your the regular versions. For example, if physical activity. you eat twice as many fat-free Reducing the amount of total fat and cookies, you have increased your saturated fat that you eat is one way to overall calorie intake. The following limit your overall calorie intake. In list of foods and their reduced-fat fact, 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories, varieties will show you that just whereas 1 gram of protein or because a product is fat free, that carbohydrate equals less than half the doesn’t mean it is “calorie free.” And number of calories (4 calories each). calories do count! By reducing total fat intake, you help reduce your calorie intake. 4 Choosing Healthier Foods Fat-Free or Reduced Fat Regular Calories Calories Reduced fat peanut butter, 187 Regular peanut butter, 191 2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 142 Cookies: 118 Cookies: Reduced fat chocolate chip cookies, Regular chocolate chip cookies, 3 cookies (30 g) 3 cookies (30 g) Fat-free fig cookies, 102 Regular fig cookies, 111 2 cookies (30 g) 2 cookies (30 g) Ice cream: 100 Ice cream: 104 Fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt Regular whole milk vanilla (<1% fat), 1/2 cup frozen yogurt (3–4% fat), 1/2 cup Light vanilla ice cream (7% fat), 111 Regular vanilla ice cream 133 1/2 cup (11% fat), 1/2 cup Fat-free caramel topping, 103 Caramel topping, homemade 103 2 Tbsp with butter, 2 Tbsp Low-fat granola cereal, 213 Regular granola cereal, 257 approx. 1/2 cup (55 g) approx. 1/2 cup (55 g) Low-fat blueberry muffin, 131 Regular blueberry muffin, 138 1 small (21/2 inch) 1 small (21/2 inch) Baked tortilla chips, 113 Regular tortilla chips, 143 1 oz 1 oz Low-fat cereal bar, 130 Regular cereal bar, 140 1 bar (1.3 oz) 1 bar (1.3 oz) Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2005). Aim for a Healthy Weight (NIH Publication No. 05-5213), p. 9. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 5 Maintaining a Healthy Weight On the Go—A Pocket Guide Lower Calorie, Lower Fat The suggested alternatives are not Alternatives meant to be an exhaustive list. If a The table that follows provides some product’s package has a Nutrition examples of healthier alternatives for Facts Panel, we encourage you to old favorites. When making a food read it to find out just how many choice, remember to consider calories, vitamins, and minerals are vitamins and minerals. Some foods in the specific products you decide to provide most of their calories from buy. sugar and fat, but give you few, if any, Once you are comfortable identifying vitamins and minerals. foods that are lower in fat and calories, you will be able to make healthier choices when eating on the go. 6 Choosing Healthier Foods - Instead of . Replace with . Dairy Products Evaporated whole milk Evaporated fat-free (skim) or reduced fat (2%) milk Whole milk Low-fat (1%), reduced fat (2%), or fat-free (skim) milk Ice cream Sorbet, sherbet, low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt, or ice milk (choose lowest calorie variety) Whipping cream Imitation whipped cream (made with fat-free (skim) milk) or low-fat vanilla yogurt Sour cream Plain low-fat yogurt Cream cheese Neufchatel or “light” cream cheese or fat-free cream cheese Cheese (cheddar, American, Reduced calorie cheese, low calorie processed cheeses, Swiss, jack) etc.; fat-free cheese Regular (4%) cottage cheese Low-fat (1%) or reduced fat (2%) cottage cheese Whole milk mozzarella cheese Part skim milk, low moisture mozzarella cheese Whole milk ricotta cheese Part skim milk ricotta cheese Coffee cream (half and half) or Low-fat (1%) or reduced fat (2%) milk or fat-free nondairy creamer (liquid, powder) dry milk powder Cereals, Grains, Ramen noodles Rice or noodles (spaghetti, macaroni, etc.) and Pasta Pasta with white sauce (alfredo) Pasta with red sauce (marinara) Pasta with cheese sauce Pasta with vegetables (primavera) Granola Bran flakes, crispy rice, etc.