Get the most out of your nutrients—making calories work for you

The most important principle of this information is that food should give you with all the nutrients you require for growth and health. You may be saying to yourself, "How am I going to manage my calories and get sufficient nutrients? This is too much information."

Calories are one part of your diet. Another is trying to eat variety and quantity of food that will support health and help avoid chronic diseases. You might use up all of your calories on a small number of high-calorie foods or drinks, but if you did, probability are you wouldn’t obtain the full range of nutrients your body wants to be healthy. Prefer the most nutritionally rich foods you can every day those packed with vitamins, fiber, minerals, and other nutrients but lower in calories. Choose foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas and dry beans, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and corresponding milk products more frequently.

At first, this may look like a lot of information. You don’t have to do the whole thing at once. Remember, this is a lifestyle conversion, not quick weight loss. Relax. You can choose one part of your diet to work on at a time. We would like to assist you find what works for you.