You don’t have to change everything about how you eat to be healthy. Small changes in your diet can have a big effect on your health. Here are some ideas about small shifts that can make your diet healthier.

Rethink your Drink

What you drink is really important. Some drinks can make you gain too much weight. Check out these easy ideas:

• Drink lots of water
• Avoid sugary drinks like soda
• Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, if you drink milk

Use The Healthy Native Plate

Think about your plate as a circle. Half of that circle should be filled with fruits, berries, and vegetables (the colorful foods). A small part of the plate is for foods that have a lot of protein, like meat, fish, and cheese. It is best to limit red meat. You should choose low-fat meats, like chicken, and low-fat cheese.

The grain section only takes up a small part of the plate, too. This includes foods like rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes. Potatoes, especially French fries, should be served only now and then. Eating too many is linked to diabetes. The best type of grains is whole grains. As shown in the My Native Plate picture, these foods should only take up a small part of your plate. The most important part of including grains in your healthy plan is the portion size.