Being active and making smart food choices is good for your health. But that’s not the only reason to move more and eat better. You can:

Physical activity doesn't have to be a chore. You can “sneak” it into your day, a few minutes at a time. To get a total of at least 30 minutes of activity most days, try making these small changes in your daily routine:

Physical activity can be fun. Do things you enjoy, like dancing, roller skating, or playing sports. If you can, be active with a friend or a group—that way, you can cheer each other on, have company while you exercise, and feel safer outdoors. There are lots of ways to be active that are free or low-cost. You can:
 

Don’t have time to exercise? There are things you can do around the house, like getting up and stretching during TV commercials, or lifting weights (you can even use two soup cans as hand weights). Doing housework and working in the yard are good ways to be active. And you can use time with your kids to be active—take them for a bike ride, jump double-dutch, toss a softball, play tag, or do jumping jacks. It’s good exercise for them too!

TIP: If you are over 50 or have chronic health problems, talk to your health care provider before starting a vigorous activity program.

It’s hard to eat right if you don’t have time to cook or your kids want fast food. Try these tips to eat better, save time, and stretch your food budget:

Food labels help you make smart choices. But they can be confusing. Here are some quick tips:*

Serving Size: All the information on a food label is based on the serving size. Be careful—one serving may be much smaller than you think! Compare what you eat to the serving size on the label.

Calories: Most women need to eat about 1,600 calories per day, with no more than 30 percent (about 480 calories) from total fat.**

% Daily Value: This tells you whether a food is high or low in nutrients. Foods that have more than 20 percent daily value of a nutrient are high. Foods that have 5 percent or less are low.

Saturated Fat: Saturated fat is the least healthy kind of fat. Compare labels on similar foods and try to choose foods with a lower % Daily Value of saturated fat.**

Sodium: Salt contains sodium. High sodium intake is linked to higher blood pressure. Look for labels that say “low-sodium.”

TIP: Many food labels say “low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “light.” That doesn’t always mean the food is low in calories. Remember, calories do count!

Fiber: You should eat at least 20 grams of fiber per day.*** Here are examples of high-fiber foods:

Sugar: Try to choose foods with little or no added sugar (like low-sugar cereals).

* For more information on reading nutrition labels, see Using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, available from the Federal Consumer Information Center, 1-888-878-3256.

** From Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If you need a special diet, check with your health care provider before following these guidelines.

*** American Dietetic Association

Fried foods and fatty meats taste good but can put too much saturated fat in your diet if you eat them often or in large amounts. There are other ways you can add flavor to your food. Try:

In real life, you can’t always cook your meals or eat at the dinner table. Here are some ways to make healthy choices when you’re on the go:

Many people think that bigger is better. We’re so used to super-size servings that it’s easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and save money!). Here is a 1,600 calorie/day sample menu with sensible servings:*

Breakfast
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 English muffin with
1 tablespoon low-fat
cream cheese
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup orange juice

Lunch
2 ounces baked chicken without skin (a little smaller than a deck of cards)
Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber salad with 2 teaspoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 cup white rice seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 small biscuit with 1 teaspoon margarine

Dinner
3 ounces lean roast beef (about the size of a deck of cards) with 1 tablespoon beef gravy
1/2 cup turnip greens seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 small baked sweet potato with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 slice cornbread
1/4 honeydew melon

Snack
21/2 cups plain popcorn
11/2 teaspoons margarine

TIP: Use margarine instead of butter. Choose soft margarines that have no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and that list liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient.
American Heart Association

Fried foods, high-fat foods, and take-out foods can be part of a balanced diet, if you don’t eat them every day and only eat small amounts. Here are sensible serving sizes for some favorite foods:

French fries: 1 small serving (equal to a child’s order)
Shrimp fried rice: 1 cup
Cheese pizza: 2 medium slices (if it’s the only high-fat food you eat that day) or 1 large slice

* Adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute sample menus.

Set goals. Move at your own pace. Reward your successes. Allow for setbacks. Let your family and friends help you. And keep trying—you can do it!

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The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a national service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional disorders.