Nutrition is important throughout your adult years. Having a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and establishing healthy eating habits will contribute to an improved quality of life and healthy aging. In addition, good nutrition has the power to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, some types of cancer, and brittle and fragile bones.

Nutrition Tips for Adults

Follow MyPlate Guidelines

The MyPlate tool teaches you how to assemble your plate with the best nutritional choices. MyPlate guidelines cover appropriate portion sizes of all food groups (fruits, grains, vegetables, protein, and dairy).

Arrange your plate with half-assorted fruits and vegetables; ¼ of grains, and ¼ of protein sources. This will ensure you have a complete meal, with fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, fat, minerals, and vitamins.

Choose Whole Grains

Whole grains are foods that have preserved all parts of the grain (bran, germ, and endosperm). Whole grains do not undergo major processing which allows the grain to preserve their nutrients and properties. Other benefits of whole grains include controlling cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and body weight; therefore, reducing the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

The vitamins and minerals we find in whole grains include vitamins A, E, and B complex, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.

There is a wide range of whole grains that can be included in your daily life, such as:

• Barley
• Farro
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Black rice
• Brown rice
• Red rice
• Wild rice
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Whole-wheat flour
• Whole-grain breakfast cereal
• Whole-wheat bread, pasta, or crackers

Choose Low-Fat or No-Fat Dairy Products

Low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are heart healthy options. In addition, since these products have a lower fat content, there is a significant reduction in calories, which can help maintain a healthy body weight. While low-fat or fat-free dairy products are lower in calories and saturated fat than full fat products, the presence of proteins, vitamins, and minerals remains the same. If you are unable or choose not to eat dairy products, fortified soy milk and yogurt is a are good alternatives.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables Daily

Maintaining a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet is important. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of nutrient contents. They are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In addition, fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which is linked to a reduction in the incidence of heart diseases and obesity.

Choose drinks, snacks, and meals with limited amounts of added sugar, salt and saturated fat

Processed foods can contain high concentrations of sugar, fat, and salt. It is recommended to eat a diet low in processed foods to decrease your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the following:

• Added sugars: less than 10 percent of calories per day.
• Salt: less than 2,300 milligrams per day.
• Saturated fat: less than 10 percent of calories per day.

Learning how to read and understand a nutrition facts label will help you make informed decisions at the grocery store.

Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI)

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. Having too much, or too little, body fat can lead to weight-related diseases and other health issues.

You can calculate your BMI by using an online BMI Calculator.

Once you calculate your BMI, you can determine what range it falls within.

• If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
• If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range.
• If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range.
• If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.

If you are underweight, learn about healthy weight gain here.

If you are in the overweight or obese range, these tips can help you lose weight.

Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is the act of bringing awareness and attention to the experiences, thoughts, and emotions of each moment lived, in an open and non-judgmental way.

Applying this mental state while eating has demonstrated effectiveness in controlling undesirable behaviors such as binge eating (eating excessive amounts of food and losing control overeating), emotional eating (overeating of food due to an emotional state), and external feeding (eating due to external reactions or triggers to food).

Some ways to practice mindfulness while eating are:

• Paying attention to the eating experience, noticing the texture, flavor, and smell of the food
• Be aware when it comes to portion sizes. When eating snacks (cookies, chips, nuts, etc.), try not to eat them out of a bag but rather pour them into a small bowl.
• Eat more slowly, chewing more often
• Recognize responses to food (like, dislike, or neutral) without offering judgments
• Become aware of the physical responses that your body gives when it is hungry and when it is satisfied so at that moment, you can decide when to start and stop eating.

Physical Exercise

Adults who maintain an active routine are healthier and less susceptible to developing chronic diseases than individuals who are not physically active. 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week is recommended. It is also recommended to include muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. For more details and information, access the Physical Activity Guide for Americans.

Additional Resources for Adult Nutrition:

• MyPlate Adult Lifestage
• Healthy Eating for Adults
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• NIH Healthy Tips for Adults