portions, food labels, and ingredients

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?