Portions, Food Labels, and Ingredients
Think…….The portion you’re getting is
probably NOT the portion you need!
Though big portions taste good, you might be getting more
FATCALORIESJUNKY INGREDIENTS!
How many ounces/servings do you need?http://
www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx
Enter your information and make a note of that on your notes for each food group
GrainsHow much do you need?
1 ounce of grains = ◦1/2 cup of oatmeal ◦1 cup of dry cereal ◦1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta◦1/2 of an English muffin
TIP: One serving size is like the
size of a CD, baseball, or computer mouse!
What about bread???1 slice of bread = size of 1 regular CD
Fruits/VegetablesAim for 5-9 cups of BOTH fruits and
vegetables of DIFFERENT COLORS each day(Goal is to go ABOVE recommendations!)
1 cup fruit = •1 small apple •1 banana •1 cup fruit salad•¼-1/2 cup dried fruit
1 cup vegetable= •1 cup of most raw or cooked vegetables •2 medium carrots or a dozen baby carrots•1 medium white potato •2 cups raw leafy green vegetables (like lettuce).
Meats/Nuts/LegumesGet at least ____ ounces per day –
depending on your needs from MyPlate
1 ounce of meat or beans = ◦1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish◦1/4 cup of cooked beans◦1/4 cup of tofu ◦1 egg ◦1 tablespoon of peanut butter or 1/2 ounce
of nuts or seeds
MeatTIP: One serving of meat = size of
deck of cards
DairyDairy (including milk and cheese):
Get about 3 servings a day
1 cup of dairy =◦1 cup of milk ◦1 cup of yogurt ◦1.5 ounces of natural cheese (like
cheddar or Swiss) 2 ounces of processed cheese (like American cheese slices)
Milk1 cup = size of your fist (on
average)
Cheese1 serving of cheese = 6 dice
FOOD LABELS….
First things to check!1. Ingredients – look for HYDROGENATED
◦ If the word Hydrogenated is there, it’s junk◦ Hydrogenated = Trans Fats (BAD fat!)◦ Leads to heart disease, increase in BAD cholesterol,
decrease in GOOD cholesterol◦ ***EVEN IF THE LABEL SAYS 0g TRANS FATS!!!**
2. Ingredients- Corn Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup(tons of sugar!)
3. Label: Saturated Fats (BAD fat!!)4. Label: Sugar- do not exceed 4g per serving
(that’s almost 1 teaspoon!) 5. Don’t exceed 4-5 teaspoons (16-20g of sugar
DAILY)
Next….Check for:1. Serving Size: how much are you
getting with one serving. Is it worth it?2. Total calories: seem like a lot? Over
200?3. Total fat: is it over 5-8g of fat per
serving?4. Cholesterol, sodium, etc.FINALLY: Does it contain vitamins &
minerals? Good amounts? IS IT WORTH IT?