Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: Tips to a great plate

Eating healthy is one of the key ways to achieve great long-term health benefits.

Balancing calories, eating better foods often and cutting back on certain kinds of foods are all good ways to get started.

Here are some tips to a great, nutritious plate at every meal.

• Balance calories by knowing how much is on your plate.

• Enjoy your food, but eat less. Take your time while eating.

• Avoid oversized portions.

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduced fat foods.

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

• Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.

• Make half your grains whole grains.

• Eat less food that is high in solid fats, added sugars and salt.

• Compare sodium in foods and choose those with lower sodium.

• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

These are great ways to have a tasty dinner while also keeping it healthy. Follow these steps and our upcoming fitness series as part of The Fittest Loser campaign sponsored by Assurance.

• Jill Micklow is the wellness consultant on the Employee Benefits team at Assurance, a proud sponsor of the Daily Herald Fittest Loser Challenge. She brings Assurance's passion for "minimizing risk and maximizing health" to clients nationwide, helping them identify specific health and wellness goals and tailoring programs that help them achieve success. Through education, motivation and engagement, Assurance clients and their employees see an improvement in overall health, morale and productivity thanks to Jill's efforts.