Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables?
September is 5 A Day month! The 5 A Day program challenges Americans to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. To get healthy eating tips and learn more about the 5 A Day program, visit www.healthyarkansas.com/services/services_5aday.html. |
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How to Measure Your Meal
There’s a difference between portion sizes and serving sizes. Portions are what you choose to eat, whereas servings are the amounts recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Recommended serving amounts and sizes are as follows:
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese - two to three servings
- One cup of milk or yogurt
- One and a half ounces of natural cheese
- Two ounces of
processed
cheese
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts - two to three servings
- Two to three ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
- 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or two tablespoons of peanut butter count as one ounce of lean meat
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Vegetable - three to five servings
- One cup of raw leafy vegetables
- 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
- 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit - two to five servings
- One medium apple, banana, orange, 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
- 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta - four to 10 servings
- One slice of bread
- One ounce of ready-to-eat-cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta
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| What Do Serving Sizes Look Like |
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three ounces of meat = the size of a palm |
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one medium piece of fruit or 15 grapes = tennis ball |
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one ounce of cheese (one and a half - two ounces is a serving) = a thumb |
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one cup raw, leafy green vegetables = the size of a fist |
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one half cup cereal, cooked pasta, rice, cooked or raw or chopped vegetables or fruit = one half of a fist |
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Eat small amounts of high-fat foods - one teaspoon = a thumb tip |
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one ounce of nuts = one handful pretzels = two handfuls |
Download a portion placemat to see what sizes your portions should be at each meal.
Good Health Pocket Slider
Click below to download your own POCKET SLIDER!
How to Read Nutrition Facts on a Food Label
Food labeling is required for most prepared foods such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, drinks, etc. Nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. These products are referred to as “conventional” foods.
The following guidance is intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet. The required nutrients were selected because they address today's health concerns. The order in which they must appear reflects the priority of current dietary recommendations.
The Nutrition Facts panel has two parts:
1st part: The main or top section contains product specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information) that varies with each food product.
2nd part: The bottom part contains a footnote. This footnote is only on larger packages and provides general dietary information about important nutrients.
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Check out the serving size first. The label facts are based on this amount. Note the serving size and how many servings per package and compare to how much you actually eat.
Calories are a measure of how much energy is provided from a serving of this food. The label also tells how manyof the calories in one serving come from fat.
The nutrients listed first are the ones Americans generally eat in adequate amounts or even too much. Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or sodium may increase the risk of certain chronic diseases like heart disease, some cancers or high blood pressure.
Americans often don't get enough dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve health and reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions.
Note the asterisk (*) used after the heading "%Daily Value" on the upper section of the Nutrition Facts panel. It refers to the footnote in the lower section of the nutrition label, which states: "Percent Daily values are based on reommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet." This statement must be on all food labels. The remainder of the lower section provides general dietary information about important nutrients and may not be included if the label is small. |
Download additional information on reading food labels.
Adapted from information on U.S. Food and Drug Administration Internet site:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-gen.html
10 Tips For Your Family- Eat Better Together!
Click below to download TIPs!
| Eating on the Road |
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Although maintaining good nutrition during travel is challenging, it can be accomplished. Check out these helpful tips.
Food Pyramid
A balanced diet is important for a healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of foods from each food group while limiting the amount of fat, especially saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt and alcohol is a great way to start eating healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture has released a new food pyramid that can be customized for your needs. Go to MyPyramid.gov to create a custom food pyramid that will give you an estimate of what and how much you need to eat, by entering your age, sex, and activity level.
Click on each group below for tips and suggestions.
Grain | Vegetable | Fruit | Oil | Milk | Meat & Bean
Food Pyramid information provided by the USDA.
Helpful Hints
Arkansans don't want to be labeled the least healthy state in the nation, so we must fight back. One way to fight back is to eat healthy. Below are a few helpful hints for you to follow in changing your unhealthy eating habits and lose weight.
- Be leery of fad dieting. Local registered dieticians may offer advice or provide seminars on fad diets.
- Keep water handy as an alternative to sodas and sugary drinks. Add a touch of lemon to liven it up.
- Watch out for portion sizes. Especially when eating out, steer clear of those "supersize" and "value" meals.
- Be sure and eat a variety of foods from the food pyramid.
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