Healthy Food List

Don't worry -- we'll give you a list of healthy foods you must include in your diet. But, more important than a list of specifics is to know how to choose your own healthy foods. This way when you are shopping at the market, or choosing off a menu, you will make the most educated, healthiest food choices for your personal diet.

The first rule of thumb for healthy eating is this:

The closer a food is to its natural state -- in other words, the less processed it is -- the better it is for you.

This means that fruits and vegetables and nuts, anything that can grow in the ground or on a tree, is going to be the best food you can eat. And, the closer these foods are to their natural state, the healthier they are. For example, whole wheat is a whole grain and packs nutrients in with high fiber that cleanses your system; on the other hand, highly processed white flour has lost much of its fiber and consists of simple carbohydrates.

Of course, everyone knows that fresh vegetables and fruit are good for them, but what are some other healthy low fat snacks that can satisfy the munchies without totally destroying your diet or your health?

Try some of these satisfying, yet healthy and low fat snack suggestions:

* Popcorn, made with air popper
* "Bars" that are high in protein, low fat and moderate carbs -- some recommended choices are South Beach Living Protein Cereal Bars and Luna Bars
* Non-fat yogurt
* Pretzels (the hard kind)
* Dry cereal (make sure to avoid high sugar varieties)
* Low fat granola
* A small "Berry Fulfilling" Jamba Juice smoothie
* Use peanut butter sparingly to make banana, apple or celery more exciting. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on an apple wedge and then cover with raisins
* Quaker rice cake minis -- try the chocolate mint - it has decadent flavor with low fat and low calories
* Dried pineapple - yes, it is fruit, but it is portable, easy and sweet!
* Tuna - mix some tuna with light mayo and spread it on whole grain crackers for a filling healthy snack.
* Pickles - don't eat too many because of the salt, but a couple baby dills can really quash cravings.
* Hummus - dip carrots or other crudites in it to snazz up their flavor.
* Skinny cow cones and skinny dippers - when you really need a decadent-feeling treat, one of these will do the trick! (The cones are 2 weight watcher points and the skinny dippers are 1 point)

As adults, we often make the effort to try foods we know are good for us, or to eat things that aren't our favorites for their nutritional value. However, as parents know, some kids are not as adventurous when it comes to dining. I've had several people ask "Can you give me a list of healthy foods my kids will actually want to eat?"

The answer is that not every kid will eat all of these things and you may have to try some of these several times before your kids really adopt them as snacks. However, these are healthy foods that are kid tested, proven to please -- and that you'll probably enjoy too!

* Babybel light cheese rounds. These cute little cheeses are individually wrapped, perfect for the lunchbox and don't taste "light"
* Thin sliced deli turkey. This may not sound as much like a snack as a "naked, bread-free" sandwich, but most kids I know will happily snack on turkey slices. Try offering accompaniments - for example, my daughter likes to make "wraps" by rolling a piece of turkey in a raw, fresh spinach leaf.
* Bananas with "stuff" - try sprinkling banana slices with sunflower seeds, nuts, blueberries or even a drizzle of chocolate syrup to turn this fruit into a treat.
* Pretzels. If your kids crave a crunchy, salty snack, these are much better for them than chips!
* Whole grain goldfish. When I switched from buying the "regular" goldfish to the whole grain variety, my daughter never noticed. Now she thinks that is what we "always" bought. Of course, some broccoli would be even better, but we take baby steps...
* Graham crackers. These crackers are actually relatively low in sugar and high in fiber. Spread with a little whipped cream cheese to really kick it up a notch.

Fiber is important to our bodies for a variety of reasons. It keeps things moving -- literally -- through our digestive systems and helps cut cholesterol and even reduces cancer risk. So, what are some of the high fiber foods that should be part of every diet?

* Whole oats or oat bran
* Yams and sweet potatoes (did you know the humble sweet potato is one of the most nutritionally perfect foods?)
* Apples (with skin)
* Pears
* Bran cereal (try "All-Bran" for low sugar options or Cracklin' Oat Bran for a sweeter flavor)
* Lentils
* Black Beans
* Avocado
* Grapefruit
* Berries
* Kale
* Spinach
* Brown rice
* Flax seeds
* Kidney Beans
* Whole wheat products
* Broccoli
* Barley
* Dried figs
* Cooked peas
* Air-popped popcorn
* Chickpea flour

Find more high fiber foods listed at Mayo clinic.

The problem with nuts is that there is conflicting information out there. Some sources say they are incredibly healthy and should be part of every diet. Others point to them as diet-busters because of their high calorie and fat content. So, what is the real deal?

The truth is that nuts are both - they pack a lot of punch in nutrients, protein and anti-oxidants. However, they are high in fat. While the fat they contain is usually the more heart healthy variety, too much fat isn't good in any form.

So, the real answer is nuts are a great part of your eating plan - in moderation! If they are the primary source of fat in your diet, replacing butter or trans fats, then you are probably using them in a very healthy way.

Also be aware of things that nuts come with - often, they are heavily salted, sugared or combined with other ingredients that take down their "health quotient". So, eat pure, roasted nuts as a small portion of your diet!

Part of healthy eating is knowing what NOT to eat. Many people have replaced sugar in their diets with artificial sweeteners such as nutrasweet (aspartame) and saccharin.

However, as usage becomes more mainstream, we are hearing more and more about artificial sweeteners and none of it is good. Several recent studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners fool the body into thinking it is consuming sugar, potentially slowing metabolism and also confuse the body's satiety, so people who consume artificial sweeteners actually eat more than those who consume sugar.

Inner Idea has a summary of some recent studies that were written up in Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

These studies added more credence to concerns about artificial sweeteners causing weight gain.

Other studies have raised concern about kidney damage and other health issues that may be caused by these non-natural sweeteners.

While there are lots of great healthy foods, it is important to know the foods to avoid for good health. Some of the top food products you should avoid or eat only in very small quantities include:

* Margarine and Shortening: These carriers of partially hydrogenated oils are full of trans fat, lowering your good cholesterol and raising the nasty kind.
* Refined Sugar:I know, I know. I love sugar as much as the next girl, and if I can't have artificial sweeteners, I want my sugar back. However, remember that refined sugar has little redeeming value in your day's nutritional makeup. Try reducing the amounts you use and experiment by sweetening foods with fruit juice, agave nectar, brown rice syrup and stevia instead.
*Deep Fried Anything Crispy, crunchy, flavorful... and packed with fat you really don't need.

Then, there are foods that can be dangerous or just fine, depending on where you get them and what is in them.

For example, coffee is just fine, as long as you drink it in moderation. Even a latte is fine, especially if you go for non-fat or low fat milk. But, some of the specialty coffee drinks you can purchase are laden with fat, sugar and other additives.

A tall (that's the small size!) Starbucks Caffe Mocha - with whipped cream packs 340 calories and 19 grams of fat (12 of which are saturated). It also has 33 grams of carbs and 26 grams of sugar.

The folks at Kashi really know how to fit a ton of great flavor into nutrient-rich, fiber-ful foods. One of their latest product offerings is the TLC line (they have both Tasty Little Cookies and Tasty Little Crackers). We tried their very satisfying oatmeal dark chocolate cookies -- packed with fiber (3 grams per cookie) these cookies are flavorful and appealing. With a chewy texture, they have dark chocolate nibs surrounded by oatmeal, barley and other whole grains. Each cookie has 2 grams of protein and 130 calories, but these are filling offerings, so 2 cookies is very satisfying, a good alternative to a granola bar or other hearty snack.
They also have no hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils, zero grams of trans fat and use all natural ingredients.