Eating Healthy and learning what to look for when shopping for food?

Question

Okay...to start i am 16 years old. I have just got a YMCA membership and am there all day playing basketball and working out. Thats great i already feel better in health, but now i am eating more, and my family doesn't take health seriously like i would like to. So i am basically on my own for this, i want to eat healthy and learn how to cook healthy so i can live a more productive and longer healthy life. I dont have a clue of what to make or even worse off what to buy to cook. What should I be looking for, i hear so much of transfat and unsaturated fats and carbs and blah blah blah...i dont know about any of that. I like to cook and I really just want to cook everything for myself now, i dont want to eat the greasy foods my mom cooks anymore. Any sites or if you want to chat through email would really help me about how i could cook, or what to cook, and what to look for while buying foods to cook. My email is [e-mail] Thanks i appreciate the help.

Answer 1

This is easy. Don't worry.

*eat lots of fruits and veggies - raw is best
*eat WHOLE grain breads and pastas - not enriched flour or enriched whole wheat flour
*don't eat hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
*don't eat fried foods
*eat lean meats (you can eat beef, but stick with flank steak, low fat ground beef, and top or bottom round steak cuts)
*eat raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds - you can put them on salads or in trail mixes
*dairy is great, yogurt is excellent
*don't eat refined white table sugar (like Domino's) - use all-natural sugar or honey (even maple syrup is better than white sugar because it retains its nutrients whereas the nutrients in white sugar have been stripped out)
*no soda! drink water and skim milk
*no juice drinks - only drink 100% juice
*no sports drinks - they are full of sugars
*eat wild or brown rice - not white
*don't eat foods with corn syrup (you'll find corn syrup in sauces, spreads, desserts, condiments...)
*eat all fruit spreads instead of jelly
*eat fish

Answer 2

Well, to start with eat before you play your sports and do your work outs. Do not go grocery shopping while hungry. Fish, Chicken, and turkey are the healthiest meats to eat. Of course you already know salads and vegetables are fat free and full of vitamins. One thing alot of people don't know is you do need some fat for energy, so the best time to eat the fat is in the morning (for breakfast). This way you have the whole day to burn off what you don't need. Another thing that is healthy (but people some say not to do) is eat before you go to bed. I don't mean eat fattening food, I mean eat something like a salad, oats, thin sliced turkey sandwiches. This helps you sleep better. The better you sleep the healthier your heart will be the stronger your body will get.

Answer 3

eat plenty of fiber such as brightly colored fruits, vegies, berries, (fresh and frozen are best), lean meats such as chicken, fish, and some ham instead of bacon, soy nuts, soy milk, soy products, organic TLC bars and Kshi organic Autumn Wheat and Go Lean cereals, oatmeals, popcorn, whole wheat, whole grain, high fiber breads, pastas, cereals, crackers, and plenty of green tea, red tea, water and limited diet sodas. if you must fry your food, dry it in virgin olive oil, sesame seed oil, grape oil, or peanut oil; they are the best oils for your heart and overall cholesteral. eat 3 moderate meals and 3 snacks a day. you should be eating around 1800 calories to lose weight and 2200 to maintain your weight. try to eat as organically as you can. stay away from food made with white flour and white sugar. some good sweeteners is Royal Jelly, Maple syrup, and Stevia, sweet leaf, found in health food stores. health food stores also have probiotic bars and mountain bars that are great for snacking. once you get your eating habits in check, you will start to feel better. i hope this helps somewhat.

Answer 4

This site tells which foods are the healthiest and why.

http://www.phifoundation.org