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Practicing good nutrition would be easier if everyone was on the same page regarding standards and guidelines. The reality of the situation is that navigating the myriad of conflicting reports, convoluted labels and hard to find information can make food decisions difficult. This article will simplify the information you need to practice good nutrition.

Part of proper nutrition is to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits daily. The daily allowance recommended by the USDA for vegetables and fruits is between 9 and 13 servings daily. That may seem like a lot to you, but it's fairly easy to get them all in. Drink orange juice for breakfast, and use real tomato paste with your spaghetti noodles.

Scour the labels of prepackaged foods. Remember that marketing claims like "reduced-fat" mean little about the overall healthiness of a product's ingredients. Avoid highly processed foods when losing weight. The listed ingredients should ideally be common ones that are easily recognizable to people. Read your labels, and don't buy anything that contains quite a few artificial ingredients listed.

For you to ensure you are getting adequate nutrition, be sure to use a multivitamin to supplement your diet. While it's best to get as much nutrition from whole foods as possible, a multi-vitamin ensures that your body never wants for any important elements.

Processed grains have become so popular because many people prefer the taste over that of whole grains. In some baked goods, white flour does produce preferable results. Whole grains are tastier than overly processed grains and they have higher fiber content.

One important way to avoid future health problems and keep good health is to keep your sugar intake to a minimum. If you are concerned about sugar, fruit juice may not be the best substitute for soda because fruit juice can be very sugary. This sometimes is not the case as some of these fruit juices have more sugar than regular soda. This is one of the reasons it is so important that you keep an eye on what you consume.

You want to consume low-fat foods that are high in protein for a diet that is heart healthy. Poultry, like turkey and chicken, is excellent for these needs; just remember to get rid of the skin. You can bake, broil or roast them, but not fry. White meat is typically more healthy than dark meat.

Making your own smoothies is a fun, simple way to prepare a tasty treat. You can improve your smoothies by making them more nutritious. Try mixing in things such as omego-3 or cocoa powder, to get a good measure of antioxidants. Adding these two extra ingredients will boost the flavor of the smoothie and provide extra nutrients to help build the immune system.

Have you tried a healthy puree of peaches, pears or berries? This allows you to create a spread that tastes sweet on chips and is also good for dipping pretzels. You can try any fruit you want and change it regularly so you won't be bored of such a healthy snack.

As you can see, eating a balanced, nutritious diet is easy and fun. There is a lot of room for creativity in the world of food, so it is a wonderful way to enhance your quality of life without limiting yourself. These tips are only the beginning to a new, healthier you!
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