Food Choices to Help Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Grain Products

Foods to choose                                Foods to limit

* Whole-grain breads and cereals               * Biscuits
* Baked products made with whole grains and    * Croissants
  limited amounts of fat and sugar             * Stuffing
 * Fruit and nut bread
 * Fried or greasy snacks (tortilla chips, corn
   chips, popcorn, etc.)

Vegetable and Fruits--Eat Five Per Day

Foods to choose                                 Foods to limit

* Beta-carotene sources: carrots, cantaloupe,   * Vegetables prepared in
  apricots, tomatoes, winter squash, spinach,     high-fat sauces
  etc.                                          * High-fat items such as
                                                  avocado and coconut
* Vitamin C sources: oranges, grapefruit, red   * Fried or deep-fried
  and green peppers, strawberries, broccoli,      vegetables (potatoes,
  etc.                                            mushrooms, zucchini, etc.)
* Folic acid sources: oranges and orange        * Fried snacks (potato
  juice, green vegetables, leaf lettuce,          chips, sweet potato
                                                  chips, etc.) asparagus,
                                                  etc. bananas, leafy
* Cabbage family: broccoli, brussels sprouts,
  cauliflower, cabbage, etc.

Milk and Dairy

Foods to choose                                 Foods to limit

* Skim or 1 percent milk                        * Whole or 2 percent milk
* Nonfat dry milk or evaporated skim milk       * Sour cream
* Low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt              * Butter and margarine
* Farmers cheese                                * Fried or deep-fried cheese
* Part-skim mozzarella or ricotta cheese        * Regular cheeses
* Low-fat cheeses                               * Ice cream
* Ice milk                                      * Cream (half and half,
                                                  whipping)
* Low-fat frozen yogurt

Meat or Meat Alternatives

Foods to choose                                 Foods to limit

* Lean beef, veal, pork and lamb (trim all      * Chicken and turkey
  visible fat)                                    with skin
                                                * "Prime" grade, heavily
                                                  marbled or fatty
                                                  meats (such as rib-eye
                                                  steak)
* Skinless chicken and turkey breast
* Low-fat processed meat (lean ham, low- or     * Sausage, bacon, frank-
  nonfat bologna and hot dogs, etc.)              furters, bologna, etc.
                                                * Goose and domestic duck
* Fish and shellfish                            * Fried or deep-fried meat,
                                                  poultry and seafood
* Dried beans, peas and lentils

Fats, Oils and Sweets

Foods to choose                                 Foods to limit

* Use sparingly--broil or bake instead of
  frying                                        * Greasy and/or fried items
* Use fruit, instead of butter and syrup, on    * Spreads and salad dressings
  pancakes and waffles                          * Desserts that are high in
                                                  fat and sugar (pastries,
* Choose low-fat sweets (angel-food cake,         pies, doughnuts, candy,
  graham crackers, ginger snaps, etc.) if you     etc.)
  have enough calorie allowance after getting
  foods from the other food groups

This handout was originally published in the Physician's Guide to Outpatient
Nutrition. Copyright 2000 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

COPYRIGHT 2000 American Academy of Family Physicians
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group