EATING HEALTHY

BY

MELINDA WANG

Youth Health Education

WHAT IS EATING HEALTHY?

Eating healthy means choosing lots of different types of food throughout the day to get all the nutrients one needs, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat.

I will show a sample food package later and we will examine the food label and the nutrition facts data shown on it. It will help us to make healthy food choices.

WHAT ARE FOOD NUTRIENTS?

The various nutrients needed by the body are: Vitamins, Minerals, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Proteins & Fat. Vitamins - A and C content shown on label Minerals – Calcium , Iron & other contents

shown Carbohydrates – from sugar, fruits, vegetables,

cereal, bread, pasta (is source of most calories) Fiber – keeps digestive system healthy Proteins – muscles, skin, etc. made of proteins Fat – good fat from nuts, fish and vegetable oil

Food Labels & Nutrition Fact Table

Labels on food items give information that can help a person decide what to choose as part of an overall healthy eating plan. The label contains information on the ingredients in a packaged food and also a detailed Nutrition Fact Table. “Percent Daily Value” show the amounts of nutrients an average person will get from eating one serving of that food. The government chose an "average" person as someone who needs 2,000 calories a day. So if the label on a particular food shows it provides 25% of vitamin D, that 25% is for a person who eats 2,000 calories a day.

Sample Nutrition Facts Table

Generally, if daily nutrient value is 5%, it is low and if it is greater than 10%, it is high. Fat is measured in gramsand body needs some, asit is a source of energy.

What are Fat and Calories?

We all require a certain amount of fat and calories in our diets to fuel our growth and activities. Fats, or lipids, are nutrients in food that

the body uses to build cell membranes, nerve tissue (like the brain), and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel. If fats aren't burned as energy or used as building blocks, they are stored by the body in fat cells.

A calorie is a unit of energy, and it measures how much energy that food provides to the body. The body needs calories to function properly.

Food Label: Calories

Food labels list calories by the amount in each serving size. Serving sizes differ from one food to the next, so to figure out how many calories one is eating, three things needs to be done: Look at the serving size. See how many calories there are in

one serving. Multiply the number of calories by

the number of servings you're going to eat.

Where do Calories come from?

The calories in food come from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories. A gram of protein also contains 4 calories. A gram of fat, though, contains 9 calories — more than twice the amount of the other two.

That's why one food with the same serving size as another may have far more calories. A high-fat food has many more calories than a food that's low in fat and higher in protein or carbohydrates.

Sample Calorie calculation

A ½-cup serving of vanilla ice cream contains:2 grams of protein (2 grams x 4 calories = 8 calories ) 12 grams of fat (12 grams x 9 calories = 108 calories) 15.5 grams of carbohydrate (15.5 grams x 4 calories = 62 calories). Total = 8+108+62 = 178 calories

A ½ cup serving of cooked carrots contain:1 gram of protein (1 gram x 4 calories = 4 calories) 0 grams of fat (0 grams x 0 calories = 0 calories) 8 grams of carbohydrate (8 grams x 4 calories = 32 calories). Total = 4+0+32 = 32 calories

So ice cream adds 146 calories more per serving

How many Calories do we need?

To get a rough idea of how many calories one needs to eat each day, the US government has a personalized plan calculator on its website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspxhttp://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/daily-food-plans.htmlThese plans take into account age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level to determine calorie level.Then, based on the calories, it shows a target group of foods to eat: what and how much food to stay within the calorie count.

Food Label: Fat

Food labels list Fat as: Fat free, Low fat, light (or lite) fat and reduced fat. By law: fat-free foods can contain no more than 0.5

grams of fat per serving Low-fat foods may contain 3 grams of fat or

less per serving Light and reduced-fat foods may still be high in

fat. Because light must contain 50% less fat or one third fewer calories per serving than the regular version of that food. And reduced fat must contain 25% less fat per serving than the regular version of it. Because the regular version could be very high in fat, it renders Light to be high in fat.

Calories from Fat

The 2010 U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that children and teens ages 4-18 get between 25% to 35% of their daily calories from fat . But food labels don't always show the percentage of fat in a food. So, it can be calculated as:

Different types of Saturated Fat

Although all types of fat have the same amount of calories, some are more harmful than others. Two of the most harmful fats are saturated fat and trans fat. Both increase the risk of heart disease. They are solid at room temperature like butter and shortening. Saturated fat comes from animal products, palm oil and coconut oil. Trans fat are found in baked goods such as cookies , crackers and fried foods. It is also found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenation is a process that changes liquid oils into a solid form of fat by adding hydrogen. This process allows the food to keep flavor and from going bad.

Different types of Unsaturated Fat

Unsaturated fats are not harmful to the body and is the preferred kind to meet our daily requirements. These fats are liquid at room temperature and can be either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.

Polyunsaturated fat is found in soybean, corn, sesame and sunflower oils, or fish and fish oil.

Monounsaturated fat is found in olives, olive oil or canola oil, most nuts and their oils, and avocados.

Food Classification The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood

Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health) suggests we think about foods in terms of Go, Slow or Whoa.

We will call these 3 foods as Good, OK, or Not Good due to their effects on our health.

All 3 types of food can be eaten, the question is how often should we eat them.

Good, OK and Not Good foods

We will call the healthiest ones as “Good” food. These are foods like steamed or raw veggies and skim or low-fat milk that are good to eat almost anytime.

The ones that are “OK” are eaten sometimes, like hamburgers or pancakes .

The ones that are “Not Good” are least healthy and can cause weight problems. They are once-in-a-while items, like French fries or ice cream

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Vegetables

Almost all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added fat

All vegetables in added fat and sauces.Oven-baked fries.Avocados

Any vegetable fried in oil, such as french fries or hash browns

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Fruits All fresh and frozen fruitsCanned fruits packed in juice

100% fruit juice. Fruits canned in light syrup.Dried fruits

Fruits canned in heavy syrup

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Breads and Cereals

Whole-grain breads, pitas, and tortillas.Whole-grain pasta, brown rice.

White bread and pasta that's not whole grain.Taco shells.

Doughnuts, muffins, croissants, and sweet rolls.Sweetened breakfast cereals.

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Breads and Cereals (cont’d)

Hot and cold unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals.

French toast, waffles, and pancakes.Biscuits.Granola

Crackers that have hydrogenated oils (trans fats)

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Milk and Milk Products

Skim and 1% milk. Fat-free and low-fat yogurt / cottage cheese. Part-skim, reduced-fat, and fat-free cheese.

2% milk.Processed cheese spreads.

Whole milk.Full-fat cheese.Cream cheese.Yogurt made from whole milk

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Meats and other sources of Protein

Beef and pork that has been trimmed of its fat. Extra-lean ground beef. Chicken and turkey without skin

Lean ground beef. Broiled hamburgers. Chicken and turkey with the skin

Beef and pork that hasn't been trimmed of its fat. Fried chicken.Bacon.

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Meats and other sources of Protein(cont’d)

Tuna canned in water. Fish and shellfish that's been baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled.

Tuna canned in oil. Ham.Low-fat hot dogs. Canadian bacon.Peanut butter. Nuts.

Fried fish and shellfish. Chicken nuggets. Hot dogs. Lunch meats. PepperoniSausageRibs

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Meats and other sources of Protein(cont’d)

Beans, split peas, and lentils. Tofu.Egg whites and substitutes

Whole eggs cooked without added fat

Whole eggs cooked with added fat

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Sweets and Snacks

Sugar free Chocolate

Ice milk barsFrozen fruit-juice bars. Low-fat frozen yogurt. Low-fat ice cream

Cookies, cakes, and pies. Cheesecake. Ice cream. Chocolate candy

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Sweets and Snacks (cont’d)

Almonds Walnuts PecansFlaxseeds Oats

Fig bars.Ginger snaps. Baked chips. Low-fat microwave popcorn. Pretzels

Chips. Buttered microwave popcorn.

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Butter, Ketchup, and Other Sauces and Condiments

Ketchup Mustard Fat-free creamy salad dressing Fat-free mayonnaise

Vegetable oilOlive oil. Oil-based salad dressing. Low-fat creamy salad dressing. Low-fat mayonnaise.

Butter. Stick margarine. Lard. Salt pork. Gravy. Regular creamy salad dressing. Mayonnaise. Sour cream. Cream cheese. Cr. Sauce. Dips.

HEALTHY EATING

FOOD GOOD OK NOT GOOD

Drinks Water. Fat-free and 1% milk. Diet soda. Diet and unsweetened iced teas and lemonade

2% milk. 100% fruit juice. Sports drinks.

Whole milk. Regular soda. Sweetened iced teas and lemonade. Fruit drinks with less than 100% fruit juice

What to do in fast food restaurants?

Look on their website for nutrition data Choose items low in calories, fat, sugar and

sodium. Choose items high in fiber, vitamins,

calcium and iron Choose smaller grilled items over fried food Order side salad instead of fries, little

dressing Choose water or low fat milk instead of

soda

CONCLUSION Eat & Drink “Good’ items as much as possible Eat & Drink “OK” items sometimes or when

“Good” items are not available Eat & Drink “Bad” items as little as possible or

when there is no choice Being aware of the amount of fat and calories one

eats makes sense, as long as it is a balanced diet. Establishing sensible eating habits, choosing foods wisely, and exercising regularly are the keys to long-term good health.

THANK YOU!

References

Following references were used: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ http://kidshealth.org/teen/