Nutrition
News...
Building
Your Food Pyramid from the Bottom Up..
Most people know what they should eat - the
challenge is to do it. The goal is to enjoy a variety of foods in the
recommended amounts, most days of the week.
Think about your food choices over the past
few days. Now look at the food groups and serving sizes of the Food Guide
Pyramid. Are you eating at least the minimum number of servings from each food
group? Is your pyramid “upside
down”? In other words, are you eating
more from the top of the pyramid (sweet, oils, butter or margarine) than the
base (breads, rice or pasta)? If you
need to make changes, follow the “Food How To’s.”
Food How
To’s
1. Enjoy
a wide variety of foods.
To get all
vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need, enjoy foods from ALL the food
groups. If you are a “meat and
potatoes” lovers, try adding squash, carrots or zucchini to your favorite beef
stew.
2. Eat
five servings of fruit and vegetables.
It’s
easy! Add sliced or dried fruits to
your cereal, enjoy a glass of juice, try some vegetable soup or have a
salad. Whether they are fresh, frozen,
canned or dried, fruits and vegetables are an important source of
vitamins and fiber.
3. Get
six servings of bread, cereals, rice and pasta.
No, they
don’t make you fat! They provide you
with energy. If you eat cereal in the
morning (one serving) and a sandwich for lunch (two servings), you’ll be half
way to your goal!
4. Choose lean for better health.
Trim that
fat from meat and remove the poultry skin before eating to reduce fat. Meat cuts from the round and loin usually
have less fat. Add fish, turkey, chicken and lean cuts of pork
to your diet. Beans and legumes are a
great source of protein too.
5. Drink milk or eat yogurt and cheese at least
twice a day.
(Soy
beverages are great for the lactose intolerant). Bones of all ages need calcium.
Look for low-fat dairy products such as 1% or skim milk, low-fat yogurt
and reduced-fat cheeses.
6.
Tingle your taste buds.
Use herbs
and spices rather than added salt, butter or margarine to boost flavor. Look for seasonings and spice mixtures
without salt.
7. Make mealtimes social events.
Join others
for meals. Start your own pot luck
lunch or supper club with friends. Join
a senior center that offers meals.
8. Eat smaller meals more often.
If you get
full quickly or find big meals unappetizing, eat mini-meals throughout the
day.
9. Read nutrition facts on food labels.
Pay careful
attention to serving size. If you eat
more or less than the serving size on the label, you will be getting more or
less of the nutrients listed.
10. Round out frozen dinners.
While
frozen meals are convenient, they can’t provide all the vitamins, minerals and
fiber you need. Add a green salad,
whole grain bread or a fresh fruit to a frozen dinner entree. Use nutrition facts label to buy frozen meal
type dinners that fit your nutritional needs.
You may want to purchase meals that are lower in sodium and fat.
National
Council on Aging, To Your Health
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
WSU/ Snohomish County
600-128th St. SE
Everett, WA. 98208
Cooperative Extension programs and employee’s are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Cooperative Extension Office. This program is funded through a USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Services Food Stamp Participation Grant