BUILDING A LOWER-FAT DIET

The latest edition of the Dietry Guidelines includes seven practical principles that form the foundation of a healthydiet. In aaddition to advising people to eat a variety of foods, the guidelines emphasize the importance of choosing foods low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Recommendations focus on keeping calories from fat to about 30 percents or less of daily total calories. That dosen't mean every single food must be low in fat. You can balance high-fat and low-fat selection over the course of a day or days and still end up eithin the 30 pecent guideline.

Here a variety of foods

1. Eat a veriety f foods
2. Maintain healthy weight
3. Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
4. Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grain products
5. Use sugars only in moderation
6. Use salt and sodium only in moderation
7. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation

Of course, achieving the right balance requires some knowledge of the fat content of foods. In the USDA's new Food Guide Pyramid, experts break foods into six categories and talk about how to zero in on the leanest selection from each group. The six food groups are

a) bread, cereal, rice and pasta
b) vegetable
c) fruit
d) meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts
e) milk yogurt and cheese
f) fats, oils and sweets