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Eat small meals every few hours (2.5 to 4 hours) or eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks distributed throughout the day (Rationale) See Exchange Lists for food groups Eat 3 food groups every meal Eat 2 food groups every snack Plan meals around moderate or intense exercise Plan snack or meal 1 to 2 hours before Eat higher carbohydrates meal very soon after exercise (Rationale) carbohydrates and quality proteins in approximately a 4:1 ratio post-workout meal should be 10 - 20% of total daily caloric intake eat a Starch or Fruit exchange for carbohydrates Eat protein every meal and snack Eat lower fat Meat or Meat Substitute or Milk exchange. Combine foods to compliment proteins (optimizes amino acid ratio) Eat legumes (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts) with grains, seeds, or nuts Eat grains with milk or cheese. Eat fruits or vegetables every meal and snack (Rationale) Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (see vegetables and starchy vegetables) See Vegetable and Fruit Color Codes Eat vitamin C rich foods At least 1 serving a day Citrus fruit, tomatoes, fresh melons, strawberries Eat cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family) At least 3 servings per week Cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, cress, and bok choy Eat vitamin A rich foods At least 1 serving every other day Dark leafy greens, and dark yellow foods Eat foods with fiber (Rationale) Whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes (beans, peas, lentils) Eat calcium rich foods Milk, yogurt, cheese Green leafy vegetables, kelp, bean sprouts, tofu, garbonzo beans, canned salmon, sardines, or jack mackerel (with tiny bone particles), oysters, figs, almonds, chestnuts, filberts, sesame seeds. Eat healthy fats and limit less healthy fats Include sources of Omega-3 fats fatty fish, walnuts, flax seed, chia seeds, avocado, beans, winter squash Consume mono-unsaturated fats (Rationale) olives, avocado, almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, sesame seeds olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil Limit consumption of Omega-6 Poly-unsaturated fats (Rationale) salad dressing, mayonnaise corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil check food label for oils high in Omega-6 Consider moderating saturated fat based on caloric requirements (Rationale and Counter Argument) leaner meats or meat substitutes lower fat milk and yogurt Eliminate extraneous sources of Trans-fats (Rationale) Avoid hydrogenated fats used in products to increase shelf life check food labels Do not exceed cooking oil's smoke point (Rationale) Limit refined foods Eat whole foods whenever possible Limit white bread, cereals, and other processed foods Limit sugar consumption found in soda pop, juices, and sweets check food labels to detect hidden sugars see finding sugar on food labels Limit alcohol consumption to no more than one serving per day Limit cured and smoked products Salt-cured, smoked, nitrite cured foods Avoid plastic food and beverage containers (Rationale) Particularly when choosing and storing acidic foods or foods containing fats Especially when heating food in microwave Avoid commercially canned foods and aluminum cans with plastic linings see Consumer Reports Video Eat a variety of foods from each food group every day (Rationale) Try new foods