Monday, March 06, 2000
Balanced diet ensures body gets nutrients
BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Healthy living starts with healthy, balanced eating. The key isn't to put certain foods off limits. It's to make sure your diet is in balance so you get the nutrients you need. It's about moderation.
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HOW TO READ A NUTRITION LABEL
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Nutrition labels are easy to read, and taking the small amount of time can help you get and stay healthy. Each lists the amount of nutrients per serving, plus the FDA's daily recommended percentage per serving.
Labels are so easy; they even tell you the recommended amount of fat intake per day on both a 2,000- and 2,500- calorie diet. Most adults need 2,000 calories and no more than 65 grams of fat per day.
Calories: Lists the number of calories per serving, not the total number in the container. Be careful to know the difference.
Calories from fat: A crucial element. The higher the percentage of calories from fat, the higher the fat content, and the more unhealthy.
Total fat: Lists the amount of fat per serving. A low-fat diet is important in losing weight and keeping your heart healthy.
Saturated fat: Perhaps the most important element on a food label. This tells you the breakdown per serving of saturated fat, the kind of fat that's worst for your health. Foods low in saturated fat are considered healthier.
Sodium: People watching their salt intake or blood pressure should check this.
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Based on my height and weight, I am supposed to eat 2,200 calories and no more than 65 fat grams per day. I shoot for the calorie target each day, but the fat target is a ceiling. You need some fat, but the general rule is the smaller the amount of fat, the healthier. I usually eat between 20-40 fat grams per day.
Following the balanced diet recommended in the food guide pyramid, for me that means this breakdown of each of the major food categories:
• 12 starches (breads, pasta, cereal). One starch serving is 80 calories, or about the same as one slice of regular white bread or half a cup of plain pasta.
• 5 fruits
• 5 vegetables
• 2 dairy (milk and yogurt; cheese is considered a protein)
• 6 proteins (1 ounce of meat is equal to one protein serving; I go for lower-fat meats like chicken or fish)
• 200 free calories built in for a snack, a sweet or alcohol.
Here's what a typical day's menus food looks like for me:
Breakfast: Two or three slices of reduced calorie bread (or small bagel), an orange, other fruit (pineapple, cantaloupe, melon). No-fat blueberry yogurt. (1-2 starch servings, 2 fruit, 1 dairy; 1 or 2 grams of fat.)
Lunch: 12-inch Subway low-fat grilled chicken sandwich with no cheese, bag of low-fat chips. Fruit. (51/2 starch servings, 1 vegetable, 4 protein, 1 fruit; 15 grams fat.)
Snack: A cup of no-fat raspberry yogurt or frozen vanilla yogurt. Rice Krispie Treat or Snackwell cookie pack. Fruit. (1 dairy, 1 fruit, 1 “extra”; about 2 grams of fat.)
Dinner: Salad with low-fat dressing. 2 cups of capellini pasta primavera with a low-fat marinara sauce and mix of vegetables, including squash, zucchini, broccoli and carrots. Throw in chicken slices for variety. (4 starch, 4 vegetable, 2 protein; 6-8 grams fat)
Snack: 1 bag low-fat microwave popcorn. Fruit. (2 starch, 1 fruit; 4 grams of fat)
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