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Quick Tips: Making Healthier Food Choices

Getting Started

Eating a variety of foods can help you get all the nutrients you need. These include whole grains, lean protein foods, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy.

You can still enjoy your favorite foods and make healthy eating choices. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, or calories, limit how often you eat them. Eat smaller servings, or look for healthy substitutes.

Use this chart as a guide for making healthier choices.

Healthier food choices
Food groups	Choose this:	Limit this:
Protein foods	Lean ground beef or turkey Meats with fat trimmed Skinless poultry Baked, broiled, or poached fish or shellfish Beans, tofu, nuts	Regular ground beef Fatty or highly marbled cuts of meat, spare ribs, organ meat Poultry with skin, fried chicken Fried fish, fried shellfish Lunch meat, bologna, salami, bacon, sausage, hot dogs
Dairy products	Low-fat (1%) or fat-free milk Low-fat or fat-free yogurt Low-fat cheese and cottage cheese Fortified plant-based milk products, such as soy milk Low-fat or fat-free sour cream	Whole milk, 2% milk, cream, nondairy creamer, half-and-half, whipping cream, whipped topping Whole-milk yogurt Most cheeses, cottage cheese, and cream cheese Sour cream
Fats and oils	Canola, olive, or peanut oil Oils that are naturally present in foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives	Coconut or palm oil Butter, stick margarine, lard, shortening Fat from meats, such as bacon
Grains	Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pasta Corn tortillas Wild rice or brown rice Air-popped popcorn Whole-grain crackers	White breads and pasta Cereals and granolas with a lot of added sugar White rice Snack crackers
Fruits and vegetables	Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables Canned fruits that are in natural juices (not heavy syrup) Canned vegetables without added salt (labeled "no salt added" or "low sodium") Steamed, sautéed, microwaved, or roasted vegetables	Fried vegetables Vegetables cooked with butter, cream, or cheese sauce Fruit juice
Drinks	Sparkling water Water with a slice of lemon or lime added Other drinks with little or no added sugar, such as unsweetened tea	Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, juice, and energy drinks Sports drinks Coffee drinks with added sugars, such as a mocha Alcoholic beverages

Current as of: September 20, 2023

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Ignite Healthwise, LLC, visit webmdignite.com.

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