Take a bird’s eye view of your eating. What categories of foods do you eat the most – and should you rebalance your diet for better cancer protection? Test your knowledge with our quiz.
We hear a lot about the importance of a balanced diet, but what exactly should we be balancing? “The ideal diet gives us just enough carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, protective plant compounds and calories to meet our nutritional needs,” says AICR Nutrition Advisor Karen Collins, M.S., R.D. No single food can provide all of the nutrients we need. That’s why switching it up by varying the vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans means better nutrition and better overall health.
Proportions Made Easy
Are you confused about how big your fish filet should be or how many servings of whole grains you need each day? All you need to do is glance at the New American Plate to get an idea of the healthy proportions of 2⁄3 or more of plant foods to 1⁄3 or less of animal protein to stay on track for lower cancer risk.
Look at Each Food Category
FATS: Eating a moderate amount of fats can be healthy – as long as they’re comprised of mainly unsaturated fat (like olive oil) and omega-3 fatty acids like those found in oily fish. Minimize saturated fat (from full fat dairy and fatty meat) and try to avoid trans fat in packaged baked goods and snack foods.
PROTEIN: Good protein sources include poultry, seafood, low fat and nonfat dairy products and plant sources, like soyfoods and other beans. You can include lean red meat for protein, too, if you like, but keep it to no more than 18 oz. per week. Avoid meat that is processed or preserved through salting, curing or other methods.
CARBS: Choosing healthy carbohydrates is important. The three main sources of carbs are starch, fiber and sugar. Starches include grains and dried beans, as well as some vegetables and fruits. Grains. Getting Carbohydrates from grains is healthiest when you choose whole grains instead of refined grains (like white bread and white rice). Vegetables. Certain vegetables have a lot of starch, including potatoes, corn, peas and winter squash. Choose these kinds for 10-20 percent of your vegetables. (You may be able to eat more of these if you are active and have a healthy weight.) Choose mostly non-starchy types like leafy greens – spinach and chard; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and bok choy; most red/orange vegetables; and allium vegetables like onion, garlic and leeks. Sugars. Try to eat only small amounts of sugars (found in sugar, honey, corn syrup and the products that contain them). Milk products, fruit and fruit juices have natural sugars, too, but they are healthy in moderation. The Bottom Line: Eat a wide variety of fiber-rich foods: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, dried beans, nuts and seeds.
Test Your Choices
1. When trying to add more dietary fiber to your meals, which pantry items could you buy?
(a) Whole-grain pasta
(b) Canned beans
(c) Popcorn (without added fat or salt)
(d) Tuna fish
(e) Peanut butter
2. Which type of soup is a healthful choice for filling you up yet not providing a lot of calories?
(a) New England clam chowder
(b) Vegetable minestrone
(c) Tomato bisque
(d) Cream of tomato
3. How many six-ounce glasses of 100 percent fruit juice are healthy to drink each day?
(a) None, because fruit juice provides only empty calories and does not count as a serving of fruit
(b) Up to one, if you like, because one glass counts as a serving of fruit
(c) As many as possible, because each glass counts as a serving of fruit
4. Which of the following foods contain healthy types of fat?
(a) Avocado
(b) Nuts
(c) Whole milk
(d) Fish
5. Which food is a source of whole grains?
(a) Whole-wheat tortillas
(b) Multigrain bread
(c) Enriched white pasta
(d) Oatmeal
(e) Stone ground wheat crackers
6. Which cooking techniques are healthiest?
(a) Steaming
(b) Baking
(c) Roasting
(d) Grilling
Answers: 1. (a), (b) and (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (a), (b) and (d) 5. (a) and (d) and possibly (b) and (e), if the ingredients list on the package says a whole grain such as whole wheat is the main ingredient. 6. (a), (b) and (c)
Infinite Health Resources does not at any point, for any circumstances suggest that you do not follow or stop medical advice of your physician. We do not advocate any drugs that has not been prescribed by your physician, nor suggest that we are medical doctors nor are we giving medical advice. Infinite Health Resources is here purely as a resource. | 
