Healthy Eating Tips
Whether you are looking for ways to eat healthier or following your health care professional’s advice for special dietary needs, these healthy eating tips can help guide you in the right direction.
Making healthier choices
Certain foods can make a healthy difference because, even in small amounts, they provide a good range of nutrients. Consider adding:
Beans. Whether you simmer garbanzos in a soup, dip into black bean salsa, or enjoy some baked beans on the side at your next barbecue, try to eat 3 cups of beans each week. Beans are rich in fiber, protein, calcium, iron, and other nutrients that help the body stay healthy.Fish. Albacore tuna, salmon, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Research suggests these may help lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2 servings of fish a week.Fruit. You can eat a couple of cups a day with breakfast, as a quick snack, or for a healthy dessert. Choosing fruit, whether it's fresh, canned, dried, or frozen, means giving your body a boost of essential nutrients.Nuts. Walnuts. Almonds. Pecans. Peanuts. Even just a handful is packed with nutrients such as protein, folic acid, niacin, magnesium, and zinc. Nuts also are a great source of unsaturated fat. Just keep an eye on serving sizes—fat and calories can add up quickly.Vegetables in all colors. Think red (tomatoes), orange (carrots), green (spinach), white (onions), and purple (eggplant). A variety of vegetables can give you a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, too.Whole grains. Choosing whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas can help you add fiber and flavor to your diet.Yogurt. An excellent source of calcium and protein. Making healthy eating a habit
Maintaining good nutrition is not just about what you eat, it's also about how you eat. To help you stay on track:
When eating out, try to:
Take along healthy portable foods for eating on the go. Some examples are peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, fresh fruit, and trail mix.Take time to look over menus to find healthier selections.If you can, avoid menu items that are batter-fried, pan-fried, buttered, creamed, crispy, or breaded. They can have added fat and calories.Take half to help control portions. Split large sandwiches and restaurant meals with a friend, or save the other half for another meal at home.Take more dark leafy greens, carrots, peppers, and other fresh vegetables at the salad bar instead of the mayonnaise-based salads and high-fat toppings. When you're food shopping, try to:
Check the Nutrition Facts label. Making it a habit to read before you buy can help you check packaged foods for what’s good (fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin C) and what's not so good (too much sodium or fat).Check the claims on the package. Low calorie means less than 40 calories per serving. Low cholesterol means less than 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving. Fat free or sugar free means less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving.Check the ingredients list. Usually, the largest amounts, by weight, are listed first. So if sugar or salt is listed at the top, chances are it makes up a large part of the total. You also can find out if ingredients include foods with proteins that may trigger allergies—such as milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy. Additional information may be available by contacting the manufacturer. It's all about healthy eating
Making healthy food choices and following healthy habits can help you start—and stay—on the path to good nutrition. Start by making just 1 or 2 simple changes, such as adding a little more fruit daily or reading Nutrition Facts labels when you shop. Remember, every little bit counts. And every little bit brings you that much closer to living a healthier lifestyle.
Always check with the health care professional before beginning any activity plan or increasing activity. It's also important to ask him or her about target heart rate to help determine appropriate exercise intensity.
Always check with your health care professional before beginning any activity plan or increasing your activity. It's also important to ask him or her what your target heart rate is to help determine what exercise intensity is appropriate for you.
Always be sure to check with your health care professional before beginning any activity plan or increasing your activity.
It always helps to ask:
- What activities are right for me?
- How much should I do each day?
- How many days a week?
It's also important to ask him or her what your target heart rate is to help determine what exercise intensity is appropriate for you.
This information is provided by an independent source. Merck is not responsible for this content. Please discuss any and all treatment options with your healthcare professional. The manufacturer of a product generally has the most complete information about that product.
This information is provided by an independent source. Merck is not responsible for this content. Please discuss any and all treatment options with your healthcare professional. The manufacturer of a product generally has the most complete information about that product.
This information is provided by an independent source. Merck is not responsible for this content. Please discuss any and all treatment options with your healthcare professional. The manufacturer of a product generally has the most complete information about that product.
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Benefits of Signing Up
You can use many of the resources from MerckEngage® now. Or, sign up and build an ongoing plan for healthier living that's customized to your needs.
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- Updates, surveys, and health tips—based on your choices—to keep you motivated
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Health Coach Call
Listen to an example of what a call might sound like.
| Play | Nutrition call (7:16) |
| Play | Activity call (7:22) |
Here are some important things to know about your Health Coach Call:
Our Coaches are employed by a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., a pharmaceutical company.
The information provided is based on generally available nutrition and physical activity guidelines and information applicable to most people.
Health Coaches are not licensed dietitians or health and fitness professionals, and they are not in a position to assess your individual nutrition or activity needs.
This information is not appropriate if you are pregnant, and it may not be appropriate if you have specialized dietary needs or limitations on the level of activity or exercise you can safely undertake due to your medical conditions. Consult your health care professional regarding your specific needs, limitations, and health conditions.
Health Coaches can educate and coach you on nutritional and physical activity recommendations for the typical person.
Health Coaches are not health care professionals and cannot offer medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your health care professional because he or she knows you best.
If you have a chronic health condition, check with your health care professional to find out if physical activity is safe before you start.
If during your call you have concerns about any condition, special dietary needs, limitations on the level of activity or exercise, any treatments, side effects, or adverse experiences, your Health Coach will refer you to your health care professional.
Activity Points Explained
This Planner uses Activity Points as a way to help you stay motivated and focused on your activity goals. Points are assigned to each activity in the Planner. You'll earn more points when you increase the duration of the activity.
For example, when you bicycle for 15 minutes at a moderate pace (12 to 14 mph), you earn 120 Activity Points. To earn the same number of Activity Points while cycling at a very easy pace (less than 10 mph), you would need to bike for 30 minutes.
If you are currently inactive or get very little activity during the week, a good goal to work toward is 500 Activity Points each week. This is equal to 30 minutes of moderate–intensity aerobic exercise on 5 days a week.
If you are moderately or highly active (more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week), you may want to aim for up to 1,000 Activity Points each week. This is equivalent to 1 hour of activity on 5 days a week.
What you'll gain
At 500 Activity Points per week: Once you consistently reach this level (ie, 150 minutes of moderate–intensity aerobic activity per week), you may gain substantial health benefits. These benefits include lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
At 1,000 Activity Points per week: When you consistently reach this level (ie, 300 minutes of moderate–intensity aerobic activity per week), you may gain even more health benefits. These benefits include a decreased risk of colon and breast cancer and an even lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.
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