Vegetables and Fruits

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Buy vegetables and fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.

• Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots
• Leafy greens for salads, like Romaine lettuce, spinach, and kale
• Canned vegetables that are low in sodium
• Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauces, like broccoli or cauliflower
• Fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, and peaches
• Canned, frozen, or dried fruit without added sugars

Farmers markets are great places to buy vegetables and fruits that are in season. Search for a market near you.

Dairy

Look for fat-free or low-fat options.

• Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
• Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
• Fat-free or low-fat cheese
• Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese
• Soymilk with added calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D

Breads, Cereals, and Other Grains

For products with more than 1 ingredient, make sure whole wheat or another whole grain is listed first in the ingredient list. Look for products that say 100% whole grain.

• Whole-grain bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas
• Whole-grain hot or cold breakfast cereals with no added sugar, like oatmeal or shredded wheat
• Whole grains, like brown or wild rice, quinoa, or oats
• Whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta and couscous

Protein Foods

Choose a variety of foods with protein.

• Seafood: fish and shellfish
• Poultry: chicken or turkey breast without skin, lean ground chicken or turkey (at least 93% lean)
• Pork: leg, shoulder, or tenderloin
• Beef: round, sirloin, tenderloin, or lean ground beef (at least 93% lean)
• Beans and peas, like kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), split peas, and lentils
• Eggs
• Unsalted nuts and seeds
• Nut butters, like almond or peanut butter
• Tofu

Fats and Oils

Cut back on saturated fat and look for products with no trans fats. Choose foods with unsaturated fats like seafood, nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils.

• Margarine and spreads (soft, tub, or liquid) with no trans fats and less saturated fats than butter
• Vegetable oil (canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, or sunflower)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Lower-calorie mayonnaise
• Salad dressings that are oil based

Avoid coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils, which are all high in saturated fat.