Pump up your daily servings of vegetables by making small changes like topping turkey sandwiches with lettuce and tomato or adding shredded carrots or mushrooms to tomato sauce. Try choosing fruit over soda or candy as an afternoon snack. Another easy way to add more of these foods to your diet is to combine vegetables and even fruits with main-dish meals. In addition, the Dietary Guidelines recommend selecting the lower-fat options from this group. It's easy to do when you consider turkey, which is lower in fat and calories than many other foods in this group.
Variety is also important to good health.
Only eating one type of food means you're missing out on a variety of nutrients as well as different tastes and textures. Be adventurous and try ground turkey instead of ground beef, turkey thighs instead of chicken or even turkey tenderloins in place of veal or steak. Finally, select foods in moderation. Nutritionists cite overconsumption of fat, sodium and calories as our biggest problem. For a healthful diet, eat small portions and choose lower-fat foods whenever possible, especially in the protein group.