Four Steps to Building a Healthy Summer Diet

The school year is coming to an end. Many of you may be taking some time off, working, starting an internship, traveling or even taking summer classes. Whatever your plans are, try to remember to make healthy choices along the way. Here are some tips on building a healthy diet.

• Incorporate a variety of foods from all the different food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy) to ensure a proper balance of all essential nutrients. You may miss out on some valuable nutrients if you don’t include food from all the food groups!
• Choose nutrient dense foods - those that provide lots of nutrients, but are lower in calories. low-fat milk is nutrient dense because it is low in calories and high in nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and protein). Soda, for example, is not a nutrient dense food as it is high in calories and low in nutrients.
• Choose appropriate portions of foods to avoid taking in an excess amount of calories. Check out the MyPlate website for proper portions for a variety of foods.
• Avoid fad diets that offer a "quick fix" or sound too good to be true! If they sound to good - they probably are!

Check out "The Great Plate" or ChooseMyPlate.gov for a template for which foods to include that will help balance your plate! It is best to fill your plate with ¼ lean meats, poultry or fish and ¼ whole grains (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, or whole grain bread) and the other ½ of your plate should include fruits and/or vegetables (the more colors, the better). You should also include a fat-free or low-fat dairy product (or substitute) with each meal or as a snack.

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Nutritionist Christine Clark works with Dining Services to provide you with tips and techniques to stay healthy during your time at Northeastern. If you have any further questions about this topic or are looking for more information about any other nutrition or diet topic, such as food allergies or sports nutrition, please contact her at christine.clark2@compass-usa.com.