Quick tips to reduce sodium in your diet

• Look for fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added sauces or seasonings.

• Choose fresh, frozen, or canned poultry, seafood, and lean meats instead of prepared or ready-to-eat products.

• Cook at home more often so you can control the amount of sodium in your food. 

Quick tips to reduce saturated and trans fats in your diet

• Avoid or eat only small portions of foods high in saturated and trans fats.

• Use canola, olive, or safflower oil for cooking.

• Bake, broil, or boil foods instead of frying.

• Cook at home more often and avoid buying pre-made foods.

Fats are part of a healthy diet, but most Americans consume too much fat, especially unhealthy fats. There are several different types of fat and not all are nutritionally equal. Replacing unhealthy fats with healthy fats can be beneficial for your overall health. 

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats. These fats are liquid at room temperature. Good sources of monounsaturated fats include canola, olive, and safflower oils. Good sources of polyunsaturated fats are sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. Some foods naturally contain these healthy fats such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, and fish. 

Saturated and trans fats are unhealthy fats. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats include fats from animal products, such as lard, butter, and the visible fat on meat, as well as shortening, coconut oil, and palm oil. Less than 10% of daily calories should come from saturated fats. Trans fats are the least healthy of all fats. Any food with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contains trans fat. Be sure to read Nutrition Facts Labels and ingredient lists to find trans fats. Look for words like hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, and trans in the ingredients and avoid these products. 

Common sources of unhealthy fats include store-bought baked goods, microwave popcorn, processed cheeses and meats, ice cream, and fried food39. Instead of buying these items, try baking your own muffins and cookies, popping corn kernels with an air popper, and decreasing fatty meats, ice cream, and fried food in your diet. 

Some foods, like fruits and dairy, naturally contain sugar. Many foods however, do not contain natural sugar. Instead, the sweetness comes from added sugars. Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods when they are processed or prepared. Americans consume too much added sugar, which can increase the risk for many chronic diseases.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that less than 10% of calories per day come from added sugars13. The biggest sources of added sugars are regular soda, candy, cake, cookies and other baked goods, fruity drinks (juice drinks not made from 100% juice), and dairy desserts14. Also, pay attention to added sugars in coffee drinks, sauces, condiments, and canned foods, especially those canned in syrup. 

Read the Nutrition Facts Labels and ingredients list to find added sugar in the product. Nutrition Facts Labels list the grams of sugar in food, both natural and added. Many also list the number of grams of added sugar separately from natural sugar. Choose packaged foods that have less or no added sugars such as plain yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, or frozen fruit with no added sugar or syrup.

Quick tips to reduce added sugar in your diet 

• Drink water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or other calorie-free beverages instead of sodas or other sweetened beverages. 

• Choose fruit as a naturally sweet dessert or sweet snack instead of foods with added sugars. 

• Enjoy sweet desserts and snacks, such as cookies, cakes, pies, and ice cream, as a once-in-a-while treat and choose a small portion.