Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

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 �1

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

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO NUTRITION

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet 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.

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Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt

• Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars.

• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. There are about 10 packets of sugar in a 12-ounce can of soda.

• Select fruit for dessert. Eat sugary desserts less often.

• Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored 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 fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

• Switch from solid fats to oils when preparing food.*

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.

• Eat fruit, vegetables, or unsalted nuts as snacks

• Buy fruits and vegetables in all varieties: dried, frozen, and canned (look for: in water, 100% juice, low sodium)

Switch to skim or 1% milk.

• 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.

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet 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.

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Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Understanding-Food-Nutrition-Labels_UCM_300132_Article.jsp

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet 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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Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

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Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

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Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

One-Day Sample Menu

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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!

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

SNACKS • 1⁄4 cup dried apricots • 1 cup flavored yogurt (chocolate)

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.

To find healthy recipes, try these websites!

wegmans.com/recipes allrecipes.com

Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

Weekly Food LogBreakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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Mind, Body, Me Nutrition E-Packet February 2015

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