Living With Diet Choices

Living with diet choices means getting acquainted with the USDA's Food Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel.

The US Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid is a good guideline for choosing the types and amount of food you should be eating to control your weight.

The Pyramid emphasizes choosing bright colored fruits and vegetables (apples, peppers), whole grains, low fat or fat-free milk, fish, lean meat, poultry and beans.

It minimizes saturated fats, trans fats, alcohol, sugars and sweetened products.

The Pyramid gives diabetics direction in making healthy food choices.

The second way to make healthy choices is the Nutrition Facts Panel on the side of food packaging.

When choosing Food Pyramid recommended products, it's important to read the Nutrition Panel. Why? To help you choose healthy foods tha have been processed in a healthy way.

Look for foods that are high in Vitamin A, C, calcium, fiber and iron.

Avoid foods that are high in sodium, trans fats, saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup and sugar.