Eating for Optimal Health

We live in a world where food choices abound. Deciding what to eat can be challenging. Food is more than just something to eat. Its the fuel to keep us going and provides nutrients needed for peak health and performance. Making nutritious food choices now can help to keep our immune system in good working order and lower our risks of future health problems including heart disease, obesity and some types of cancer.

Learning to choose foods for a healthful diet doesnt have to be difficult or complicated. The Food Guide Pyramid provides simple guidelines for daily food selection. It is not a rigid prescription, but rather a practical tool that can help you choose a diet thats right for you.

The Food Guide Pyramid was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture to help Americans reshape the traditional "square" meal and choose a diet in more of a "most-to-least serving per day" fashion emphasizing more grains, fruits and vegetables than meats and milk products.

Using the Food Guide Pyramid will help you choose the right foods in the right quantities.

Use this section to assess your diet. This will help you know where and how to begin to make improvements. Follow these steps:

1. Based on your estimated daily calorie level, record the total number of servings recommended for each food group in the first column below.

2. Recall everything you ate yesterday. Determine the appropriate food category. Be sure to include all meals, snacks and beverages.

3. Count the total number of servings you ate from each food category and record them in the second column below. For mixed foods, do your best to estimate the food group servings of the main ingredients. For example, beef stew would count in both the meat and vegetable groups.

Compare the total number of servings you ate to the number of servings recommended for your calorie level. Are there foods you need to add or limit to better meet your nutrition needs?

If you were less than thrilled with the results of your nutritional assessment, give some of these suggestions a try.

Choose foods made from whole grains for added fiber.

Look for cereals with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

Use only half the butter or margarine suggested when preparing packaged rice, pasta or stuffing to reduce fat content. Ideally, eliminate the butter and margarine all together.

Go easy on spreads, sauces or toppings added to grain products.

Choose dark green or deep yellow-orange vegetables for extra vitamin A.

Eat vegetables raw, steamed or microwaved instead of boiled for optimal nutrient value. Do without dips and sauces.

Add fresh or frozen vegetables to soups, stews and casseroles.

Keep clean, cut vegetables on hand for a quick snack.

Choose fresh, dried, frozen, or canned fruit in lite syrup. Choose fruits rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits.

For added fiber, eat whole fruit with the peel and/or seeds when possible.

Choose 100-percent fruit juice instead of fruit drinks for added nutrients and less sugar.

Add fresh or dried fruit to cereal and desserts.

Think of meat as a side dish, and grain products and vegetables as the main course.

Trim all visible fat from meat and remove skin from poultry. Broil, bake or microwave these foods instead of frying.

Add legumes to soups, stews and casseroles in place of meat for a low-fat, high-fiber protein source.

Go easy on processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, bacon and sausage.

Chose 1-percent or non-fat milk instead of 2-percent or whole milk.

Choose cheeses labeled fat free or part skim. Look for cheeses with no more than 6 grams of fat per ounce.

Choose low-fat frozen yogurt or ice milk instead of ice cream.

Use low-fat yogurt in place of sour cream for dips, toppings and recipes.

Read food labels for fat content. A food is considered low in fat if it provides no more than 3 grams of fat per 100-calorie serving.

Read food labels for hidden sugar. Ingredients such as honey, fructose, molasses and corn syrup are all sources of sugar.

Go easy on fats and sugars added to foods in cooking or at the table such as butter, margarine, gravy, jelly and syrup.

Most people would say not. But despite the fact that one mans heaping helping is another mans happy meal, there are some nutrition guidelines that you should follow. Dont be surprised if you discover that your typical serving size is enough to feed a sumo wrestler for a week. We have been "supersized" to obesity. Now its time for a nutritional reality check. Adherence will only support you in reaching your goals.

1 slice of bread or 1/2 roll or bagel

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal

½ cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta

1 cup raw, leafy vegetables

½ cup other vegetables cooked or chopped raw

¾ cup vegetable juice

1 cup of milk or yogurt

1 ½ ounces of natural cheese (such as cheddar or Swiss)

2 ounces of processed cheese such as American cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts

2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish

½ cup cooked dry beans or 1 egg

2 Tablespoons peanut butter = 1 ounce lean meat

Although serving sizes are fixed, the number of servings a person should eat varies depending on age, activity level and gender. Use the guidelines below to estimate your caloric needs and the amount of daily servings you should eat from each food group.

1,600 calories daily is adequate for most sedentary women and older adults.

2,200 calories daily is adequate for most children, teen-age girls, active women and sedentary men.

2,800 calories daily is adequate for teen-age boys, active men and very active women.

Once you determine your calorie level, use the chart below to identify the number of servings in each category that you should eat each day.

*Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, teenagers and young adults to age 24 need 3 servings.
**Meat group amounts are in total ounces recommended per day.

If you need to lose weight, try to choose low-calorie, low-fat foods from each food category.

If you need to gain weight, eat more servings from all food groups. Selecting a variety of foods within each group will help you get all the nutrients you need for optimal health.