GUIDELINES FOR HEALTHY EATING

EATING AND GOOD HEALTH Poor eating habits can lead too: heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancer Developing good eating habits at a young age can reduce your chances for future health risks. Using Food Pyramid and Dietary Guidelines can help make healthful eating choices everyday.

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS Nine suggestions: Aim for Fitness Aim for a healthy weight Be physically active everyday Build a Healthy Base Let the Pyramid guide your food choices Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily Keep food safe to eat Choose Sensibly Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars Choose and prepare foods with less salt These are guidelines consider what you eat over time-not just in one day These are suggested guidelines for people 2 and over Not for infants and young children, their eating requires different food intake

HEALTHY WEIGHT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY The best weight is not necessarily the lowest weight you can be Healthy weight depends on: Age Height Gender How much comes from fat or bone, muscle, or other lean tissue ( most preferred is muscle) Family history of weight-related problems Good nutrition + physical activity = healthy weight Concerned about weight? Talk to a health professional to help you identify your healthy weight range

GRAINS, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES Good sources of: Carbohydrates Fiber Vitamins Minerals How can you get more of these nutritious foods?  Eat a bran muffin and have a glass of orange juice in the morning  Get extra veggie toppings on your pizza  Eat vegetable or fruit salad  Choose whole grain side dishes- rice or pasta

LOW FAT, SATURATED FAT, AND CHOLESTEROL Fat is important in supplying energy and other body functions Eating fat is a good idea Eating too much fat can lead to obesity- being seriously overweight due to excess body fat High-fat diet can also be linked to heart disease and some cancers

MODERATE SUGARS Sugar can not be completely avoided. Some sugar is fine You do NOT need large amounts of sugar Eating too many sugary foods ( ice cream, candy, cereals) can limit other nutritious foods Gaining weight is a possibility

MODERATE SALT AND SODIUM Most Americans eat more salt and sodium than we need. Salt and sodium are added to many processed foods Its important to check food labels for sodium content of foods like: canned soup, snack foods, and frozen pizza Sodium does help the body keep a balance of fluids and regulate blood pressure But too much sodium can be linked to high blood pressure

MY FOOD PLATE

THE FOOD GROUPS Grain Group : Make half your grains whole ● Eat at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day ● 1 oz. is about 1 slice of bread, about 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta Vegetable Group : Vary your veggies ● Eat more dark green veggies like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens ● Eat more orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes ● Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils Fruit Group: Focus on fruits ● Eat a variety of fruit ● Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit ● Go easy on fruit juices

THE FOOD GROUPS Milk Group: Get your calcium-rich foods ● Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt, and other milk products ● If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose free products or other calcium sources such as fortified foods and beverages Meat and Bean Group: Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry ● Bake it, broil it, or grill it ● Vary your protein routine — choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

HOW MANY SERVINGS? Fruit Group: should provide 4 daily servings, or 2 cups. Vegetable Group: should provide 5 servings, or 2.5 cups. Grain Group : should provide 6 ounce- equivalents (1 ounce-equivalent means 1 serving), half of which should be whole grains. Meat and Beans Group: should provide 5.5 ounce-equivalents or servings. Milk Group: should provide 3 cups/servings. Oils: should provide 24g or 6 teaspoons.

WHAT COUNTS AS A SERVING? Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group: 1 cup of milk 1 ½ oz. ripened cheese 2 oz. processed cheese Vegetable Group 1 cup leafy raw vegetables (lettuce, spinach) ½ cup of other vegetables (cooked or raw) ¾ cup of vegetable juice Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts Group 2 to 3 oz. of cooked lean meat, poultry,or fish 1 cup cooked dry beans 2 Tbsp. peanut butter- equivalent to 1 oz. of meat Fruit Group 1 orange, apple, banana, or pear ½ cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit ¾ cup of fruit juice Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group: 1 slice of bread ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta 1 oz. ready-to eat cereal

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Its important to develop healthful eating habits The food we eat daily may not perfectly fit into a category, but what matters is that you are eating a variety and in taking food from each part in your eating pattern over several day.

FOOD SAFETY Wash hands before preparing food Wash hands before eating food Cook foods at safe temperatures Refrigerate foods that perish easily

QUESTIONS What are ways to be more physically active? Stairs v. Elevator? How can you set an example for choosing healthy snacks?

WEBSITES TO VISIT

ACTIVITIES Good Choices/ Bad Choices Food Groups Nutrients to Know Class cookbook