Overweight? Wise Nutrition Choices

Go for whole grains; avoid refined grain products.   (5 to 7 servings / day)

Whole grains are more slowly digested, leaving you feeling fuller for longer. 

.Best choices: intact whole grains (millet, quinoa, barley, brown rice).
.Good choices: whole grain bread, cereal, or pasta.  Look for bread with whole grain flour as the first ingredient and at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.
.Poor choices: refined grains (white bread products, white pasta, and white rice).  These foods contribute to overeating and poor nutrition.  Use sparingly or not at all.

Pile on the vegetables.  (3 or more servings / day)

.Vegetables offer the most nutrition for the least calories.  You can pile them on without blowing your diet.  Including large servings of vegetables at mealtime makes you feel like you've eaten a big meal, even when your caloric intake is quite moderate.
.Eat as man low-carbohydrate vegetables as you like.  Limit higher-carbohydrate vegetables (potatoes, corn, and peas) to 3 or fewer servings a day.
.Stick with fresh vegetables when you can.  Raw vegetables are especially filling and loaded with phytochemicals and other protective dietary components--eat them every day.
.Grill or roast vegetables with little or no oil for intense flavor.  You can also stir fry using only a few drops of oil with fresh garlic, Bragg Liquid Aminos (lower in sodium than soy sauce), and white wine.

Pick fruit.  (3 to 5 servings / day)
.While fruit is sweet, it contains almost no fat and is loaded with vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber.
.Go for whole fruit instead of juice.  It is more filling and takes longer to eat.  If you drink fruit juice, squeeze the fruit yourself. 

Think green for calcium.  (6 servings / day)
.Your lowest-calorie sources for calcium are green vegetables from the land and the sea (bok choy, collards, kale, broccoli, and certain seaweeds).  Other excellent choices are calcium-fortified nondairy beverages  (if vegan) and calcium-fortified orange juice
.Add calcium -rich greens or seaweeds to salads, patties, potatoes, soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes.
.Always use calcium-fortified soymilk on cereal and in cooking.
.Use smaller portions of higher-fat calcium choices such as tofu, almonds, and tahini.

Legumes.  (2 to 3 servings / day)
.Whole legumes are more nutrient-dense than the higher-fat bean alternates such as nuts and their butters.  They are also loaded with fiber, helping you to feel fuller for longer.

.Experiment with all kinds of legumes.  Sprout them, stew them, add them to salads and loaves, or just eat them as a side dish.

.Include smaller portions of higher-fat choices (tofu, nuts, and seeds).