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nutrient calorie scale

Vegetables

Eat Almost Anytime

Raw, steamed, boiled, or grilled vegetables made with no added fat/sauces:

  • Artichoke | Eggplant
  • Asparagus | Kale
  • Beets | Mushroom
  • Broccoli | Onion
  • Carrots | Radish
  • Cabbage | Spinach
  • Cauliflower | Tomato
  • Celery | Watercress
  • Cucumber | Zucchini
carrot

Eat Sometimes

  • Avocado
  • Oven-baked French fries or sweet potatofries
  • Starchy veggies (e.g. corn, peas, winter squash, potatoes)
  • Veggies cooked with butter, oil, or cream sauce

Special Occasion

  • Deep-fried veggies (e.g. French fries, hash browns, tempura veggies, onion rings)

Fruits

Eat Almost Anytime

Fresh, frozen, or canned in juice/water:

  • Apples | Pear
  • Banana | Pineapple
  • Blueberry | Plum
  • Grape | Raspberry
  • Kiwi | Strawberry
  • Orange | Nectarine
  • Peach | Tangerine

Eat Sometimes

  • Canned fruit in light syrup
  • Dried fruit
  • Fruit pouches
  • Pureed fruit
  • 100% fruit juice
apple juice

Special Occasion

  • Canned fruit in heavy syrup
  • Fruit in desserts (e.g. apple pie)

Meat/Protein

Eat Almost Anytime

  • Baked fish
  • Canadian bacon
  • Chili without meat
  • Chicken or Turkey, no skin
  • Cooked dry beans
  • Edamame, soybeans
  • Egg whites or egg substitute
  • Extra lean ground beef <95%
  • Extra lean pork
  • Lentils
  • Low-fat lunch-meat
  • Split peas
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Tempeh
  • Tofu
  • Tuna, canned in water
Bean
Can Tuna

Eat Sometimes

  • Broiled hamburger
  • Chicken or turkey, with skin
  • Lean Pork, Ham
  • Lean beef (loin, round, <90% ground beef)
  • Low-fat hotdogs
  • Meat substitute (< 3g fat per serving)
  • Nuts
  • Peanut butter
  • Tuna, canned in oil
  • Whole eggs , cooked with no added fats
chicken with skin

Special Occasion

  • Bacon
  • Beef (prime cut, ribs, 80% ground beef)
  • Chicken nuggets
  • Fried chicken
  • Fried fish
  • Fried hamburger
  • Hot dogs, lunch meat
  • Pepperoni
  • Ribs
  • Sausage
  • Whole eggs cooked with fat
eggs

Bread/Starch

Eat Almost Anytime

  • Brown rice
  • Hot and cold unsweetened cereals
  • Quinoa
  • Whole-grain bread
  • Whole-grain crackers
  • Whole-grain pasta
  • Whole-grain pita bread
  • Whole-grain tortilla
Soup

Eat Sometimes

  • White refined flour bread, rice, pasta
  • Biscuits
  • Cornbread
  • Crepes
  • French toast
  • Granola
  • Pancakes
  • Waffles

Special Occasion

  • Croissant
  • Doughnut
  • Crackers (made with trans fats)
  • Muffin
  • Sweet roll
  • Sweetened cereal
  • Taco shells
  • Tortilla chips

Dairy/Milk Products

Eat Almost Anytime

  • Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese
  • Fat-free or 1% milk
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
  • Part-skim, reduced-fat or fatfree cheese
  • Unsweetened soy milk
  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Unsweetened rice milk

Eat Sometimes

  • 2% low-fat milk
  • Processed cheese spread
  • Soy cheese
  • Soy yogurt products
  • Sweetened soy milk
  • Sweetened almond milk
  • Sweetened rice milk
  • Sweetened coconut milk beverage
Milk

Special Occasion

  • Flavored milk
  • Full-fat cheese including American, Colby, Swiss and Cream cheese
  • Ice cream
  • Whole milk
  • Whole milk yogurt

Fats/Condiments

Eat Almost Anytime

  • Fat-free creamy salad dressing
  • Fat-free mayonnaise
  • Fat-free sour cream
  • Hummus
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Salsa
  • Vinegar

Eat Sometimes

  • Avocado or Guacamole
  • Canola Oil
  • Low-fat creamy salad dressings
  • Low-fat mayonnaise
  • Low-fat sour cream
  • Oil based salad dressing
  • Olive oil
  • Olive tapenade
  • Soft margarine
  • Tzatziki sauce
  • Vegetable oil
Olive Oil

Special Occasion

  • Butter
  • Cheese sauce
  • Cream sauce
  • Lard
  • Gravy
  • Mayonnaise
  • Regular creamy salad dressing
  • Salted pork
  • Sour cream
  • Stick margarine
  • Tartar sauce

Beverage

Eat Almost Anytime

  • Fat-free or 1% milk
  • Fortified non-dairy milk beverages, unsweetened
  • Unsweetened or diet iced tea
  • Water
beverage

Eat Sometimes

  • 2% low-fat milk
  • 100% fruit juice
  • Coconut water
  • Diet soda
  • Sports drinks

Special Occasion

  • Whole milk
  • Regular soda
  • Sugar-sweetened iced teas, juices, punch, and lemonade

Fast and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

  • 1 cup fresh or canned fruit (in juice)
  • Make a sandwich the night before and add 1 cup of milk (non-fat or 1%)
    • Limit added fats by choosing low-fat cheese and hummus or mustard instead of mayonnaise.
  • A breakfast or granola bar
  • Choose one with at least 3 grams of fiber and no more than 10 grams of sugar.
  • A packet of unsweetened instant oatmeal made with milk and topped with fruit or chopped nuts
healthy breakfast
  • A container of “light” or plain yogurt topped with fresh fruit
    • Choose a yogurt with less than 12 grams of sugar.
  • A container of low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese topped with pineapple, peach, or apple slices
  • 1 piece of fruit with 1 cup of unsweetened milk (non-fat or 1%)
  • 1 piece of whole-grain bread with 1-2 Tablespoon of peanut or almond butter
  • Make a smoothie by blending fresh or frozen fruit (example: banana and berries), vegetables (example: spinach or kale), and milk or yogurt


Healthy Snack Options
  • Snacks can be part of a healthy diet. Snacks can help you avoid becoming too hungry and over-eating at meals.
  • Snacks can be a great way to eat more fruits and vegetables!
  • Having healthy pre-made snacks that are easy to grab may help you avoid eating high-fat and high-sugar foods.

Snack Ideas:

nutrient calorie scale

Eat Almost Anytime

Fresh, frozen, or canned in juice/water:

  • Unsalted plain popcorn
  • Light or plain yogurt
  • High-fiber, low-sugar granola or cereal bar
  • Fresh fruit
  • Frozen grapes or berries
  • Berries with low-calorie whip topping
  • Vegetables, such as baby carrots, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes, with hummus
  • Low-fat string cheese

Eat Sometimes

  • Baked Chips
    Low-fat microwave popcorn
    Pretzels or Rice cakes
    Whole-grain crackers
  • Sugar-free pudding or Jello®
    Fruit sorbet or frozen yogurt
  • Chocolate chip granola bar
  • Dried or canned fruit
  • Fruit or vegetable squeezer or pouch
  • Angel food cake
    Ginger snaps or fig bars
  • Vegetables with tuna salad
  • Whole milk string cheese

Special Occasion

  • Buttered Popcorn
  • Potato or corn chips,
    Cheetos®, cheese crackers,
    Goldfish®, or Ritz® crackers
    Graham crackers
  • Ice cream or whole milk yogurt
    Fruit pies
  • Candy or energy bar
  • Juice
  • Fruit-flavored candy or gummies
  • Cookies, cakes, or pies
  • Vegetables with ranch dressing
  • More than 1 oz of whole milk Cheese