(BlackDoctor.org) -- Nutrition is an essential ingredient to good health. Following a nutritious eating plan may help you achieve a healthy weight, feel energized, and prevent diseases such as coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

While we tend to think that healthy eating means forgoing sweets and chomping on vegetables all day, you can eat healthfully without overhauling your diet. You simply need to sharpen your nutrition knowledge so you can make sound choices. A few healthy decisions each day can have a big effect on your health—and possibly on your waistline.

Get Creative!

You can almost always find a healthy alternative to high-calorie and high-fat foods, whether you are packing your own lunch, dining in a restaurant, grabbing a quick bite on the road, or cooking a homemade meal. Moreover, healthy options can be tasty, inexpensive, and easy to find. All it takes is a little creativity. You can use the tips in this article to get started, but chances are you will be coming up with your own creative ways to eat healthfully in no time.

In general, it is a good bet to opt for whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. These foods easily replace high calorie and high fat options. For example, whole-grain bread is a terrific substitute for white bread. Raw veggies with low-fat dip can satisfy when you are in the mood for something crunchy. And reach for fruit when you crave something sweet.

Pack your own nutritious lunch and snacks when possible. This may spare you calories, money, and on-the-spot decision making. Some easy ideas include vegetable slices kept fresh in a plastic zip bag, prepackaged salsa, sliced fresh fruit such as apples, whole-wheat pretzels, chicken salad made with low-fat mayonnaise in a whole-wheat tortilla, a handful of dried fruit and nuts, or leftovers from last night’s healthy dinner.

Go low-cal by replacing rich foods and condiments with low-calorie alternatives that are still high in flavor. For example, choose mustard instead of mayonnaise and balsamic vinaigrette in place of ranch dressing. You can also eliminate excess calories and sugar by skipping soda and sports drinks. Instead, reach for flavored water, diet soda, or unsweetened iced tea.

Choose low-fat, low-sugar, and low-sodium foods when available. Reducing the amount of fat, sugar, and salt that you add to food can also make a difference. You may also try healthy substitutions. For example, use olive oil sparingly in place of butter, a calorie-free sweetener rather than sugar, and herbs instead of salt.

Out and About

With Americans eating out more than ever, it is important to make healthy decisions in restaurants. Go ahead and ask your server how foods on the menu were prepared. Steer clear of dishes that are high in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium, or simply ask if your dish can be prepared more healthfully. You can reduce calories and fat by requesting to have sauces or salad dressing on the side. Remember to make whole grains, veggies, and fruits the focus of your meal.

Restaurants tend to serve large amounts of food, so consider downsizing your portions. Order an appetizer instead of an entrée, split a meal with a friend, or immediately ask for half of your meal to be put in a take-home container. By watching how much you eat, you can still eat the foods you love.

If you eat at a fast food restaurant, avoid the temptation to super-size your meal or buy larger sizes. French fries and soda both pile on calories but may easily be replaced with healthier items such as a plain baked potato and a diet soda. Many fast food restaurants now offer healthier items, including salads. Grilled chicken sandwiches are often slightly lower in fat but much higher in sodium and calories than small hamburgers, so weigh your options carefully, especially if you are watching your salt intake. Instead of going to a fast food restaurant, consider stopping at a deli, where you may have more options and control.

In the Kitchen

There are plenty of ways to make your homemade meals healthful too. You can do this by altering the ingredients in a recipe and using different cooking techniques.

The following ingredient substitutions and alterations improve nutrition without sacrificing taste:

• Use low-fat versions of items such as milk, sour cream, and ground beef.
• Choose low-sodium varieties of ingredients such as chicken broth, soy sauce, and canned vegetables.
• Use two egg whites or 1/4 cup of egg substitute instead of one whole egg.
• Opt for trans fat-free margarine instead of shortening.
• When baking, replace half of the recipe’s butter or oil with applesauce.
• Choose whole-grain bread, rice, flour, and pasta in place of white versions.

Altering your cooking techniques can also make some dishes healthier. Try these ideas:

• Trim visible fat from poultry and meat, and remove skin from poultry.
• Use nonstick pans or nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil.
• Season meat with herb-based rubs (dried or fresh herbs will work) or fat-free vegetable broth instead of pork, oil, or drippings.
• Opt for broiling, grilling, or baking meats and vegetables rather than frying them.

Choices Made Easy

Comparing Nutrition Facts labels that appear on prepackaged foods may also make it easier to select healthy foods. Consider the following: one serving of regular potato chips has 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, and just 1 gram of fiber. One serving of low-fat, air-popped popcorn, on the other hand, has just 20 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 4 grams of fiber. Both are quick and easy snacks. So why not choose the more figure-friendly popcorn?

The next time you are in the grocery store, do some comparison shopping yourself. Foods to consider include ice cream vs. frozen yogurt; regular potato chips vs. baked potato chips; whole milk vs. low-fat milk; sugary cereals vs. whole-grain cereals; and mayonnaise vs. mustard. Once you see the nutritional content of foods in black-and-white numbers, you might be surprised by how easy it is to select the more nutritious option. You may be more surprised that these healthy foods can taste just as good.

By Nicole Smith, BDO Staff Writer