Nutrition: Dietary Guidelines

1. Eat small meals every 2.5 to 4 hours or eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks distributed throughout the day -
   Eat 3 food groups every meal
   Eat 2 food groups every snack
2. Plan meals around moderate or intense exercise -
   Plan snack or meal 1 to 2 hours before
   Eat high carbohydrates meal very soon after exercise
   carbohydrates and quality proteins in approximately a 4:1 ratio
   post-workout meal should be 10 – 20% of total daily caloric intake
   eat a Starch or Fruit exchange for carbohydrates
3. Eat protein every meal and snack -
   Eat lower fat Meat or Meat Substitute or Milk exchange.
   Combine foods to compliment proteins (optimizes amino acid ratio)
   Eat legumes (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts) with grains, seeds, or nuts
   Eat grains with milk or cheese.
4. Eat fruits or vegetables every meal and snack -
   Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
5. Eat vitamin C rich foods -
   At least 1 serving a day
   Citrus fruit, tomatoes, fresh melons, strawberries
6. Eat cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family) -
   At least 3 servings per week
   Cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower
7. Eat vitamin A rich foods -
   At least 1 serving every other day
   Dark leafy greens, and dark yellow foods
8. Eat foods with fiber -
   whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
9. Eat calcium rich foods -
   Milk, yogurt, cheese
   Green leafy vegetables, kelp, bean sprouts, tofu, canned salmon, sardines, oysters, figs, almonds, chestnuts, filberts, sesame seeds.
10. Make lower fat and healthier fat choices
    Cook with little or no oil -
    Roast, bake, broil, grill, poach, steam, or boil instead of frying
    Keep saturated fat intake low -
    Eat leaner meats or meat substitutes
    Remove skin from poultry
    Lower fat milk and yogurt
    Choose lower fat snacks
    Limit hydrogenated fat (used in products to increase shelf life)
    Consume moderate poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats -
    nuts, olive oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise
11. Limit refined foods -
    white bread and cereals, soda pop, sweets, alcohol
    Eat whole foods whenever possible
12. Limit cured and smoked products -
    salt-cured, smoked, nitrite cured foods
13. Eat a variety of foods from each food group every day -
    Try new foods