Connecticut State Department of Public Health

Eat Healthy
 

 

 

Simple Steps To Better Health

 

A Healthy Lifestyle

 

Prevent Diabetes

 

Eat Healthy

 

Stay Active

 

Heart Health

 

Quit Tobacco

 

Team Up With Your

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­EAT healthy

 

Your daily food choices affect your health. Use these ideas as a way to start. Choose a change you can make today to become healthier. Eating healthy food and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health. It can help with many health problems, like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

 

Eat More of These Foods

  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
  • Make at least half your grains whole grains
  • Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk

 Eat Less of These Foods

  • Read labels & choose foods with lower amounts of salt (sodium)
  • Drink water instead of drinks with added sugar

salt intake

Eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, which can make stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease more likely. Everyone should limit salt (or sodium) to less than 2,300 mg a day. If you are age 51 or older, or if you are black, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, you should limit salt to 1,500 mg per day.

 

Ways to reduce salt

  • Buy fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables with no salt added
  • Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, instead of canned or processed
  • Use herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, and salt-free seasoning blends instead of salt
  • Read labels when shopping. Look for lower sodium in cereals, crackers, pasta sauces, and canned vegetables
  • Choose foods with low-salt options
  • Eat less processed & packaged food

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/sodium/sodium.htm

www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Sodium

www.choosemyplate.gov

www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating

Healthy Recipes