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?