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  • Food is the fuel that gives you energy and keeps your body running well.

  • For this reason, it is important to choose foods that will best support a healthy body with lots of nutrients.

  • There are five basic food groups that should be included in your daily diet.

  • They include grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein.

  • Grains include things like rice, bread, pasta, and cereals.

  • It is recommended that half of the grains you eat on a daily basis should be whole grains.

  • Check the ingredients labels to see which items contain whole grains.

  • Vegetables include things like lettuce and other greens, carrots, peas, and broccoli.

  • For maximum nutrient value, you should try to vary the vegetables that you eat.

  • Strive for a colorful array of green, red, orange, and other colorful veggies.

  • Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and corn are also a valuable addition to your diet.

  • Fruits include apples, bananas, melons, oranges, berries, and others.

  • Even dried fruits like raisins, prunes, and figs can contribute to your daily fruit intake.

  • 100% fruit juices count as well, although dietitians recommend opting for whole fruit over fruit juice.

  • The dairy group is comprised of milk, cheese, and yogurt.

  • Consuming fat-free or low-fat dairy products will give your body the same amount of calcium,

  • but with less fat and fewer calories.

  • Proteins include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and meat substitutes like tofu and tempeh.

  • Like most things, variety is key.

  • Try to opt for seafood twice per week,

  • and keep meat and poultry portions small and lean.

  • Foods containing high amounts of fats, sugars, and salt like soda, candy, and fried foods

  • should be limited in your diet.

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or the USDA, has created a guideline called

  • "Choose My Plate" to help people choose a more balanced diet.

  • As you can see, half of your plate at mealtimes should be covered in fruits and vegetables.

  • Just over a quarter of your plate should be filled with grains.

  • Protein should occupy the remaining space.

  • A cup of milk or yogurt on the side, or one-and- a-half ounces of cheese sprinkled over your food can count as your serving of dairy.

  • The Choose My Plate guidelines serve as a great visual aid when planning meals and serving your plate.

  • It can also help to guide your decisions on how much you eat in a day.

  • Serving sizes, and the amount of calories needed per day

  • is determined based on your age,

  • gender, height, weight, and activity level.

  • To find out what your own personal caloric needs are, you can visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

  • Under the interactive tools bar,

  • choose the "supertracker" feature.

  • Answer a few simple questions,

  • and the website can calculate the number of calories you need to consume each day,

  • and even give you a detailed food plan with serving recommendations for each food group.

  • Here is an example of a daily food plan from ChooseMyPlate.gov

  • As you can see, the plan is custom-made for the user, and describes the number of calories that should be consumed daily,

  • along with the suggested number of servings for each food group.

  • The plan also includes guidelines for serving sizes and even tips for a healthier, and more balanced diet.

  • Obviously the Choose My Plate website can be extremely helpful for forming healthier eating habits.

  • Sometimes serving sizes can be confusing,

  • especially if you don't have a measuring cup handy.

  • Oftentimes we overestimate serving sizes and end up eating up more than we should.

  • When you can't measure your portions exactly, you can use the following approximations to estimate serving sizes.

  • One serving of meat, poultry, or fish is 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.

  • One egg counts as a serving of protein,

  • and so does 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, which is about the size of your thumb.

  • One serving of beans is ½ cup, or about a handful.

  • One serving of fruits or vegetables is 1 cup,

  • or about the size of a closed fist, or a baseball.

  • One serving of grains is ½ cup, about the size of your palm, or a hockey puck.

  • One slice of bread, one tortilla,

  • one pancake or waffle counts as a serving of grains and should be about the size of a CD.

  • One serving of milk or yogurt

  • is 1 cup, or about the size of a fist or baseball.

  • One serving of cheese is one and half ounces, or the size of your pointer finger, or four dice.

  • Many of these serving sizes might be surprising to you.

  • Usually the portions we are served are much larger than these amounts, and we can end up overeating if we're not careful.

  • In addition to eating too much,

  • oftentimes we don't eat a balanced diet with enough fruits and vegetables.

  • The reason why it's important to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, is because no

  • one type of food has all the nutrients needed for good health.

  • Nutrients are the materials in food that your body needs for growth, energy, and good health.

  • Nutrients can be classified into two groups.

  • Macronutrients like water, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins,

  • are nutrients that your body needs in larger quantities.

  • Micronutrients are only needed in small quantities

  • and include vitamins and minerals.

  • Each of the macro- and micronutrients has a specific job within the body.

  • Water is a macronutrient that comprises 65 to 75% of your body.

  • Water provides a medium for all the chemical reactions that occur inside your body.

  • Therefore it is essential to life.

  • Carbohydrates are another type of macronutrient that serves as the main energy source for your body.

  • Fats are the macronutrient that represents stored energy as opposed to the readily- available energy of carbohydrates.

  • The final type of macronutrient is protein.

  • Protein serves as the material necessary for the growth and repair of all body cells.

  • They can also be broken down for energy.

  • Micronutrients are only needed in small amounts and include vitamins and minerals.

  • Vitamins and minerals help the body's cells and organs do their jobs,

  • boost the immune system,

  • and are needed for the body's normal growth and development.

  • Both macro- and micronutrients are listed in the nutrition facts placed on food items.

  • You will learn how to read these food labels

  • in the next lesson.

Food is the fuel that gives you energy and keeps your body running well.

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