Steps To A Healthier You

For Better Health:• Aim for fitness• Build a healthy base• Choose sensibly

Aim For Fitness• Participate in at least 30 minutes

(adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week, preferably daily.

• Choose activities that you enjoy and that you can do regularly such as walking, jogging, dancing, roller skating, playing basketball, etc.

Aim For Fitness Continued• What other activities could you

incorporate into your exercise routine?

Did You know…?• Physical activity and nutrition work

together for better health. Physical activity: Increases physical fitness Helps build and maintain healthy

bones, muscles, and joints Helps manage weight Lowers risk factors for cardiovascular

disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes

Build A Healthy Base• Let the food pyramid guide your food

choices.• Choose a variety of grains daily,

especially whole grains.• Choose a variety of fruits and

vegetables daily.

What Is The Food Pyramid?

What Is the Food Pyramid?• The food pyramid is a diagram that

fits food groups into a triangle and notes that, for a healthful diet, those with wider stripes should be eaten more frequently than those with narrow stripes.

What Are Food Groups?• Food groups include grains, vegetables,

fruits, milk, and meat & beans.• Recommended servings per day

include: Grains (6-11 servings) Vegetables (3-5 servings) Fruits (2-4 servings) Dairy (2-3 servings) Meat and Beans(2-3 servings)

What Are Food Groups?• Oils are not a food group, but you

need some for good health. • Get your oils from fish, nuts, and

liquid oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.

Grains• Grains are divided into 2 subgroups,

whole grains and refined grains.1. Whole grains include:

Whole-wheat flour Oatmeal Brown rice

2. Refined grains include: White flour White bread White rice

Vegetables• Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice

counts as a member of the vegetable group.

• Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.

• Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content.

Vegetables Continued• Some commonly eaten vegetables in

each subgroup are: 1. Dark Green Vegetables

Broccoli Kale Spinach

2. Orange Vegetables Carrots Pumpkin Sweet Potatoes

Vegetables Continued3. Dry Beans and Peas

Black Beans Lentils Split Peas

4. Starchy Vegetables Corn Green Peas Potatoes

5. Other Vegetables Green Beans Okra Zucchini

Vegetables Continued• What other vegetables could you add

to your diet?

Fruits• Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts

as part of the fruit group. • Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen,

or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. Some commonly eaten fruits are:

Apples Bananas Strawberries Mangoes Watermelon

Fruits Continued• What other fruits could you add to

your diet?

Dairy• All fluid milk products and many foods

made from milk are considered part of this food group.

• Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group; while foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not.

• Most dairy group choices should be fat-free or low-fat.

Dairy Continued• Some commonly eaten choices in the

dairy group are:1. Milk

All fluid mild (skim, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk)

2. Cheese Cheddar Ricotta American

Dairy Continued3. Yogurt

All yogurt (fat-free, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk yogurt)

4. Milk-based desserts Frozen yogurt Ice cream

Meat and Beans• All foods made from meat, poultry, fish, dry

beans or peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the protein foods group.

• Dry beans and peas are part of this group as well as the vegetable group.

• Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain healthy oils, so choose these foods frequently instead of meat or poultry.

Meat and Beans Continued• Some commonly eaten choices in the

protein foods group, with selection tips, are:

1. Meats Beef Lamb

2. Poultry Chicken Turkey

Meat and Beans Continued3. Eggs

Chicken eggs4. Dry Beans and Peas

Soy Beans Black-eyed peas

5. Nuts and Seeds Almonds Pumpkin seeds

6. Fish Tuna Shrimp

Choose Sensibly• Limit use of solid fats, such as butter,

hard margarines, lard, and partially hydrogenated shortenings. Use vegetable oils as a substitute.

• Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products, cooked dry beans and peas, fish, and lean meats and poultry.

Choose Sensibly Continued• Eat plenty of grain products,

vegetables, and fruits daily.• Limit your intake of beverages and

foods that are high in added sugars.• Do not let soft drinks or other sweets

crowd out other foods you need to maintain health, such as low-fat milk.

• Drink water often.

Keep In Mind…It is important to be physically active

every day.Remember to eat foods from all food

groups every day.Take one step at a time. You do not

need to change overnight what you eat and how you exercise. Just start with one new, good thing, and add a new one every day.

Link For Further Learning• Visit the Web site

http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html to learn more about how to eat better and exercise more.

Referenceshttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap.htm