Do You Know How to Choose Healthy Foods?

Surprised? Extra-lean ground beef is lower in cholesterol than a chicken breast. Plus, it has more B12, iron, and zinc, which boost energy, keep your heart healthy, and protect you from disease.

Buy the kind that says "97%" to "99%" lean on the label. Drain it on a paper towel after browning it to cut even more unhealthy saturated fat. Then dish up the right size portions: about the size of half of your palm for kids 4 to 8, and about the size of a deck of cards for older kids and adults.

Though it does have a little less unhealthy fat, frozen yogurt has the same amount of sugar and calories as ice cream.

Too much sugar can lead to unhealthy weight gain, so let your family enjoy these treats every now and then, not every day. Remember, a serving is about the size of a tennis ball. 

One baked potato has about half the calories of a serving of brown rice. If you eat the skin, you'll also get more vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, which is good for heart health.

To keep them a healthy choice, don't fry them, and avoid slathering on butter and full-fat sour cream. Instead, offer fresh salsa and low-fat cheese or plain low-fat yogurt and chives for zesty flavor and less fat.

With about 10 times less saturated fat, deli ham is leaner than salami. It also has a lot fewer calories and less salt.

That doesn't make it a super healthy choice, though. It's still pretty high in salt, which can pump up blood pressure.

A better option? Look to tuna. It has less sodium, more protein, and about the same calories as ham.

Raw sugar has some trace minerals that refined sugar doesn't have, but it's not enough to make it healthier. Both kinds are "empty" calories that you should limit in your family's diet.

The English muffin has about half the calories and salt of the bagel. Top it with a tablespoon of nut butter, a healthy fat, instead of butter.

How do you know if you're buying healthy whole-grain breads? Make sure a whole grain like "whole wheat" is first on the ingredients list. Also look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving on the Nutrition Facts panel.

Not all oatmeal is the same. Many types of the instant kind have a lot of added sugar and salt. That isn't good for your family's heart or waistline.

Stick with old-fashioned rolled oats instead. They cook in about 5 minutes.

Want to entice little (and big kids) to eat oatmeal without adding sugar? Add spices and a few nuts. Or top it with fresh fruit such as berries or mashed banana.

Apple juice is about the same as cola in sugar and calories. Even the unsweetened kind has more sugar than OJ.

But all juices have a lot of sugar, so it's best to limit how much your family drinks:

• Kids ages 1-6 should get just 4 to 6 ounces a day.
• Kids age 7 and up shouldn't have more than 12 ounces a day.

Water or low-fat milk are always healthier thirst quenchers.

Both fish are rich in protein. But salmon is higher in the "good" omega-3 fats that you want for heart health -- so salmon wins. Try to serve your family foods with omega-3s at least three times a week, including trout, herring, walnuts, and flax seeds.

Some vegetarian versions may be lower in calories, but both types are full of added sugar. A 1/2 cup of either has half the sugar a woman should have in a day.

Read the ingredients list to watch out for added sugars. Look for molasses, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and '-ose' words like dextrose and maltose. They all mean sugar. If they are at the top of the list, pick another can.

Or instead, try canned low-sodium black beans or buy dried beans and soak them overnight before cooking.