What+are+the+Best+Food+Choices?

Good foods
Good foods supply nutrition to the human diet, provide health benefits, and are a better food choice for caloric intake rather than bad foods. The best food choices include whole grains, breads, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein. Some smart choices for whole grain food is 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal, ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta, ½ bagel, ½ English muffin, or 1 small tortilla.

The top five best fruit choices are blueberries because they have a beneficial on blood vessels because of their anthocyanosides. Kiwi because it is good for the immune system. Strawberries because of their high level in vitamin C. Guava because it is the most nutritious fruit. Cranberries because of their high source in dietary fiber. Here are some suggestions for protein and dairy choices. Great protein choices are fish, mixed nuts, baked beans, skinless poultry, lean meat, 1 - 1½cups cooked raw vegetables, or ¾cup of vegetable juice. Good choices for dairy are low-fat milk, non-fat (skim) milk, cheese, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 cup of milk, or ½ ounces of cheese.

Boys should be an average weight and height. At ages 11-14, young male teens should weigh around 99 pounds and have a height of 62 inches. Male teenagers ages 15-18 should weigh around 145 pounds and have a height of 69 inches. Ages 19-24, adult males should weight around 160 pounds and have a height of 70 inches. Girls ages 11-14 should weight around 101 pounds and have a height of 62 inches. Females ages 15-18 people should weigh around 120 pounds and have a height of 64 inches. The adult female, ages of 19-24 should weigh around 128 pounds and have a height of 65 inches.

Bad foods
Bad foods are the foods that cause a harmful effect on the body. A hamburger, 1/4 pound has 400 calories. To burn calories from this food walk at 3 mph for 105 minutes. 1 slice of a chocolate cake, one buttered roll, and 3/4 cup of chili with beans all have 250 calories in them. To burn the calories from these foods run at 8 mph for 19 minutes. All of these foods can lead to obesity and many other diseases to avoid.

The normal amount of body fat for male is 13-17%. The minimum is 7-10%. The dangerous level of body fat is less then 7%. It is bad to have over 19% of body fat. The normal amount of body fat in a female is 20-27% the minimum is 14-17%. The dangerous level is less than 12%. It is bad to have more than 28%. Anything higher than 28% of body fat is considered obese. This is the percent of body fat to have in the normal human body.

Good and bad carbs
The definition of carbohydrate is the energy component of a diet. Bad carbs are foods that are stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. These foods have been processed in order to make cooking fast and easy like white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. These are all striped of bran, fiber, and nutrients which are all good for the body. They digest so quickly that they cause dramatic elevations in blood sugar. This can lead to weight gain or even diabetes.

Good carbs are digested more slowly. This keeps blood sugar normal. It also keeps insulin levels from rising too high. These foods help have more energy and last longer. Good carb sources are whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. These foods offer health benefits. Some health benefits are prevention against cancer, heart disease, diabetes. They provide fiber, energy, and good health.

Whole Grains for long lasting carbohydrates
Whole grains are good tasting and good whole grains have rich phytochemicals. The definition of phytochemicals is chemicals in plants that benefit on the body. They also protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown that people who eat more whole grains have healthier hearts. Grains should be in their whole form. Some whole forms are whole grain brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley in meals. Some words don’t necessarily mean that a product is whole grain such as stone-ground, multi grain, 100% wheat, or bran. Look for the whole grain stamp from the Whole Grains Council. If there is no stamp, look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat.” Also check the ingredients to make sure each grain listed is specified as whole grain. Some good sources are dark breads and toasted wheat cereals. Avoid refined grains such as breads and pastas.

Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables have low calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals, protective plant compounds, and fiber. These are a great source of nutrients and vital for a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables should be a part of every meal. They should also be a first choice for a snack because they provide the best health benefits. The benefits of fruits and vegetables are being healthy, having fiber in the diet and having a strong body. There should be a minimum of five portions of fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants and nutrients in these foods help protect against diseases like cancer.

Fruits are a very important part of a healthy diet. People should eat a wide variety of fruit. They provide beneficial properties such as natural sugars, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries are cancer fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C. These are some fruits and vegetables to avoid. Fruit juices can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup. Canned fruit often contains sugary syrup and dried fruit. Avoid fried vegetables or one covered with dressings or sauces. People can still get the vitamins from these vegetables, people get a lot of unhealthy fat and extra calories. These can lead to high blood sugar, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In conclusion, choose the healthiest foods for every meal.

Dark, green, leafy vegetables are a vital part of a healthy diet. These greens are filled with nutrients such as, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. These vegetables help to strengthen the blood and the American diet. Some options of these kinds of vegetables are kale, mustard greens, broccoli, or Chinese cabbage.

Another good group of vegetables are sweet vegetables. These vegetables should also be in every meal. Sweet vegetables are a good way to add healthy sweetness to meals. Eating these provides more sweetness in meals which reduces cravings for other sweets. Some sweet vegetables include corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, winter squash, or onions.

In conclusion, good foods supply nutrition to the human diet, provide health benefits, and are a better food choice for caloric intake rather than bad foods.

Works Cited Lopez, Ralph I. The Teen Health Book. New York: W. W. Norton, 2002. Print. Paul, Maya W., and Mary Toscano. “Healthy Eating.” Helpguide.org. N.p., Jan. 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2010. . **January 25, 2010.**