3. Eat healthy plant foods

Plants in your diet give you vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include sugars and starches — the energy sources for your body — and fiber. Dietary fiber, also called roughage or bulk, is the part of plant foods your body can't digest or absorb.

Fiber-rich foods promote weight loss and lower the risk of diabetes. Eat a variety of healthy, fiber-rich foods, which include:

• Fruits, such as tomatoes, peppers and fruit from trees.
• Nonstarchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower.
• Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas and lentils.
• Whole grains, such as whole-wheat pasta and bread, whole-grain rice, whole oats, and quinoa

Fiber benefits include:

• Slowing the absorption of sugars and lowering blood sugar levels.
• Interfering with the absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol.
• Managing other risk factors that affect heart health, such as blood pressure and inflammation.
• Helping you eat less because fiber-rich foods are more filling and energy rich.

Avoid carbohydrates that are high in sugar with little fiber or nutrients. For example, avoid white bread and pastries, pasta from white flour, fruit juices, and processed foods with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.