Nutrition & Cancer - Dietary Guidelines For Americans

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Whereas the Food Guide Pyramid and the 5 A Day Program recommendations focus on the servings of food you should eat every day, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans give suggestions for your overall diet and activity level.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans include the following:

Aim…Build…Choose…for Good Health

Aim for fitness.
- Aim for a healthy weight.
- Be physically active each day.
Build a healthy base.
- Let the food pyramid guide your food choices.
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Keep food safe to eat.
Choose sensibly.
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat.
- Choose low calorie beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation (one to two drinks a day).

By allowing the Food Guide Pyramid, the 5 A Day Program, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to be your guides for meal planning should put you on the right track toward a healthy, cancer-preventing diet.

Balanced meals and diet:

The best way to prevent cancer with your diet is to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber grains every day. Also, substitute cold-water fish in place of red meat or chicken a few times a week at the dinner table. By eating moderate portions of meats and cheeses and small amounts of fat and sweets, you can save room for larger portions of fruits and vegetables. This strategy is good for your heart and may reduce your chances of developing certain cancers.

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