Download BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO NUTRITION Table of Contents Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet
February 2015
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO
NUTRITION
Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet
Table of Contents
Making a Healthy Plate
… 2
Nutrition Labels 101
… 3
A Guide to Calories
… 4
Carbs, Protein, and Fats
… 5
Determine Calorie Needs … 6
Keeping Track
… 7
One Day Sample Menu
… 7
Food Log
… 8
Daily Food Plan Work
… 9
Your food and physical activity choices each day affect your health
— how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future.These tips,
suggestions, and resource are a starting point toward a healthy diet.
Easing Into It
When most people are thinking about changing their diet, a
question that is often asked is – where do I start? The task of
transitioning from eating junk food every day to eating healthy
meals and snacks can sometimes seem insurmountable. But the
hardest part is just getting started, it gets easier each day.
Start small.
Start by getting rid of just one to two unhealthy items at first–
eliminating these foods for several weeks. Every two weeks, set a
new goal, making small changes each time that you can sustain.
Some starting points include:
• Giving up soda or any other high-calorie beverage
• Giving up fast-food meals
• If you used to dine out four times a week, try only twice a week.
•If you have dessert after every dinner, try enjoying it just once or
twice a week. Alexandra Palumbo
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February 2015
Making a Healthy Plate
Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your cup or
bowl. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy
products, and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need
without too many calories.
Make half your plate fruits and
vegetables.
• Eat red, orange, and dark-green vegetables, such as
tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, in main and
side dishes.
Cut back on foods high in solid
fats, added sugars, and salt
• Eat fruit, vegetables, or unsalted nuts as snacks
• Choose foods and drinks with little or no
added sugars.
• Buy fruits and vegetables in all varieties: dried,
frozen, and canned (look for: in water, 100% juice,
low sodium)
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. There
are about 10 packets of sugar in a 12-ounce can
of soda.
Switch to skim or 1% milk.
• Select fruit for dessert. Eat sugary desserts
less often.
• They provide the same amount of calcium and
other essential nutrients as whole milk, but less fat
and calories.
• Try calcium-fortified soy products as an alternative
to dairy foods.
Make at least half your grains whole.
• Choose 100% whole- grain cereals, breads, crackers,
rice, and pasta.
• Don’t be fooled by color or words like “multigrain”
or “12 grain”
• Check the ingredients list on food packages to find
whole-grain foods: Whole grain ____ should be the
first ingredient.
Vary your protein food choices.
• Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your
plate.
• Eat beans, which are a natural source of fiber and
protein.
• Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean.
• Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruitflavored drinks.
• Look out for salt (sodium) in foods you buy—
it all adds up.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread,
and frozen meals—and choose the foods with
lower numbers.
• Add spices or herbs to season food without
adding salt.
• Eat fewer foods that are high in solid fats.
• Make major sources of saturated fats—such
as cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza, cheese,
sausages, and hot dogs—occasional choices,
not everyday foods.
• Select lean cuts of meats or poultry and fatfree or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Switch from solid fats to oils when preparing
food.*
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February 2015
Label Reading 101
Learning how to read and understand food labels can help you make healthier choices.
1 - Start with the serving
information at the top of the label.
This will tell you the size of a single
serving and the total number of servings
per container (package).
2 - Next, check total calories per
serving. Pay attention to the calories per
serving and how many servings you’re
really consuming if you eat the whole
package. If you double the servings you
eat, you double the calories and nutrients.
3 - Limit these nutrients. AHA
recommends limiting these nutrients:
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, no more
than 16 grams of saturated fat, as little
trans fat as possible, and no more than
1,500 mg of sodium.
4 - Get enough of these nutrients.
Make sure you get enough of beneficial
nutrients such as: dietary fiber, protein,
calcium, iron, vitamins and other
nutrients you need every day.
5 - Quick guide to % Daily Value. The
% Daily Value (DV) tells you the
percentage of each nutrient in a single
serving, in terms of the daily
recommended amount. As a guide, if you
want to consume less of a nutrient (such as saturated fat or sodium), choose foods with a lower % DV — 5
percent or less. If you want to consume more of a nutrient (such as fiber), seek foods with a higher % DV
— 20 percent or more.
* Remember that the information shown in these panels is based on 2,000 calories a day. You may need
to consume less or more than 2,000 calories depending upon your age, gender, activity level, and
whether you’re trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight.
Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Understanding-FoodNutrition-Labels_UCM_300132_Article.jsp
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February 2015
The Guide to Calories
This amazing infographic outlines everything a beginner should know about calories!
Source: http://greatist.com/health/complete-guide-calories
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February 2015
Keeping Track
Logging your food and activity is a great way to keep yourself accountable in reaching your goals. Here are
some ways you can start today!
1. Use a handwritten log - On the next page is an example of a food log. Print out the template on page 9.
2. MyPlate’s Daily Food Plans & Worksheets - These show your food group targets – what and how much to
eat within your calorie allowance. They are based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity
level. There is an example for a 2,000 calorie plan on Page 10. You can find your personalized version at:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/daily-food-plans.html
3. SuperTracker - For a more advanced experience, try out SuperTracker by MyPlate. It is an online tool that
can help you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity. Find out what and how much to eat,
and personalize with goal setting, virtual coaching, and journaling. Create a Profile at: http://
www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/supertracker.html
4. Use mobile apps on your smartphone - Apps on your phone can be useful
tools in tracking calories. Of course it is an estimation, but you
are able to see your eating trends. Try out MyFitnessPal or
MyPlate Calorie Tracker!
One-Day Sample Menu
Use this menu as a motivational tool to help put a healthy eating pattern into practice. It
is not intended to be followed day-by-day as a specific prescription for what to eat. It is
based on 2,000 calorie diet.
BREAKFAST
Cold cereal:
• 1 cup ready-to-eat oat cereal
• 1 medium banana
• 1⁄2 cup fat-free milk
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 tsp whipped or lite butter
Beverage: 1 cup juice
DINNER
Roasted chicken:
3 ounces cooked chicken breast
1 large sweet potato
1 tsp whipped or lite butter
1 ounce whole wheat roll
Beverage: 1 cup water, coffee, or tea
LUNCH
Tuna salad sandwich:
• 2 slices rye bread
• 2 ounces tuna
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp chopped celery
• 1⁄2 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium peach
Beverage: 1 cup fat-free milk
To find healthy recipes,
try these websites!
wegmans.com/recipes
allrecipes.com
SNACKS
• 1⁄4 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup flavored yogurt (chocolate)
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Weekly Food Log
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Source: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/daily-food-plans.html
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