the FOOD Pyramid Steps to a healthier you

Eating Right Every Day  Eating right everyday is a good way of insuring your health presently and in the future.  To eat right, you must make sure to eat balanced meals daily by eating from each of the food groups.

The Food Pyramid Steps to a healthier you GRAINSVEGETABLESFRUITSOILSMILKMEAT & BEANS

Grains Make half of your grains whole  Eat at least 3 ounces of grains daily  Grains have 2 subgroups Whole grains such as whole grain bread and flour, brown rice, oatmeal, etc. Refined grains that are missing a lot of dietary fiber, iron and vitamins such as white rice, white flour, white bread  Foods that are considered grains: Bread, cereal, rice, crackers, pasta

Vegetables Vary your veggies  Eat at least 2 ½ cups daily.  Vegetables may be raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, dried/dehydrated, whole, cut or mashed  Some vegetables would be: Carrots, greens, beans, cauliflower, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, potatoes, etc.

Fruits Focus on fruits  Eat at least 1 ½ to 2 cups daily  Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts toward your daily total.  Fruit may be fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cut up or pureed.  Fruit choices include: Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, plums, watermelon, etc.

Meat and Beans Go lean on protein  Recommended daily allowance for meat is 5-6 ounces daily.  Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low fat  Some meat choices include: Ham, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, steak, burgers, etc.

Milk Get your calcium rich foods  Recommended daily allowance for the milk group is 3 cups daily  Foods made from milk that retain their calcium are a part of this group.  Foods that have little to no calcium are not such as cream cheese, cream, and butter  Milk products would include: Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, puddings made with milk, etc.

Oils Know your fats  Recommended daily allowance for oil is 5-6 teaspoons  Most Americans consume enough oil from: Nuts Fish Salad dressings Cooking oil

Discretionary Calories Extras for luxury foods  Discretionary calories are calories that you have left over after you have met your nutrient requirements with choices from MyPyramid. They can be used for that piece of cake you wanted after eating right all day.  Think of your daily calorie limit as a budget and as you eat throughout the day, you spend some of your money (calories)  Well, if you have paid for all the needs or necessities then you are left with “extra” spending money for things you would like.

Physical Activity Strive for 60 minutes or more per day  Along with eating right, one must also do an adequate amount of physical activity.  This usually helps prevent weight gain and many other health related problems  You should strive for 60 minutes a day, but at least 30 is the least amount.  Some types of physical activity would include: Walking briskly Hiking Dancing Swimming Running Basketball/football Bicycling, etc.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

1. Get adequate nutrients within the calorie needs Caloric Breakdown Carbohydrates: 55-60% Fat: No more than 30% Protein: % Average American eats too much fat, sugar, calories & sodium Average American doesn’t eat enough fiber.

2. Manage weight, balance food intake with exercise output.

3. Be physically active each day.

4. Choose a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat free or low fat milk products daily.

5. Monitor your intake of fats  Watch for naturally occurring invisible fat in foods such as avocados, olives, milk, eggs, etc…

6. Choose carbohydrates wisely  Choose fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit sugar.

7. Watch your intake of sodium What can too much salt/sodium do to your body? Can cause high blood pressure and heart disease. Where does it hide? In prepared foods (frozen, canned, etc.)

Eat Well and Stay Healthy!  Complete the MyFood Tracking Worksheet to determine how you score on the MyPyramid daily goals.  Remember that the better foods you eat and the more active you are, the healthier you will be.

Serving Size Quiz What does a serving size look like? With the changes of the new MyPyramid from servings to amounts, it seems to have everyone a little confused on portions. Let’s test your knowledge!

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  A huge bag of Ruffles is helping you get through your science homework. You polish off about ½ a bag or 50 chips. How many servings of chips have you just eaten? A.1 B.2 1/2 C.5

The Answer: C  An official serving of Ruffles is one ounce, which is about 10 chips. Half a bag is 5 servings.

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  One serving of steak is about as big as: A.A deck of cards B.A Howie Day CD with case c.A paperback book

The Answer: A  An official serving of steak is three ounces or about as big as a deck of cards. A typical slab you would get at a steak house would be five times that size.

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  According to the label on a package of Oreos, one serving has 100 calories and five grams of fat. How many cookies are in a serving? A.1 B.2 C.3

The Answer: B  An official serving of Oreos is 2 cookies. But who can stop at just 2?

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  The label on your favorite brand of ultrasinful ice cream says that one serving has a killer 300 calories and 15 grams of fat. How many scoops are in one serving? A.3 B.2 C.1

Answer: C  One official serving is one scoop, just ½ a cup.

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  On “official” serving of french fries contains 3 ounces. How many servings are in a McDonald’s Super Size french fries? A.1 B.2 C.3

Answer: C  A Super Size french fries contains three official servings, adding up to 540 calories.

QUIZ: What Makes a Serving?  A 7-Eleven Double Gulp contains how many servings of soda? A.2 B.4 C.8

Answer: C  A Double Gulp has eight servings, more than enough to quench the thirst of a large family. A can of soda contains 1 ½ servings.

So how did you do?