UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DINING SERVICES VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER Menu Icons. What do they mean? Interpreting and understanding them.

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1 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DINING SERVICES VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2007 We re on the web: SEPTEMBER quick tip It s the whole meal that counts when looking at the nutrient analysis. DIETITIAN on duty Menu Icons What do they mean? Interpreting and understanding them. Available Now! Nutrient Analysis and Ingredients of DC recipes online UMass Dining Services is assisting students by having the following menu icons on the serving line as well as on the web: Get free nutrition advice in the DCs at the following times! 5:30 7:30 pm Sept. 5 Franklin DC Sept 12 Worcester DC Hillside Room Sept 19 Hampshire DC Sept 26 Berkshire DC Dianne Z. Sutherland RD,LDN Dining Services Worcester Dining Commons 3rd Floor 110 Stockbridge Road University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA Phone (413) Fax (413) dietitian@mail.aux.umass.edu VEGAN VEGETARIAN VEGAN VEGETARIAN LOCAL PRODUCE LOCAL PRODUCE SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY Vegan: Contains no animal products or by-products. The dining commons staff make sure there is no cross contamination of meat products with these menu items so you know they are indeed vegan. Vegetarian: Contains dairy and/or egg, but no animal flesh. Again, no cross contamination of animal flesh is in these recipes. Local Produce: Recipe contains produce available from local vendors Sustainability: Food purchased from suppliers where the products are abundant, well managed and selected in environmentally friendly ways Peanut and Tree Nuts: Menu item contains peanuts and/ or tree nuts. This can be life threatening to students who are allergic to nuts. H EALTHY H EALTHY Healthy Choice: The definition of healthy choice is: <400 calories, 30% or less fat calories, <500 mg sodium.

2 How can I determine the percentage of fat in a serving of food based on the nutrition label? Sweet and Sour Swordfish is 42% calories from fat. The nutrition label shows 9.2 grams of fat for one portion. Multiply the number of grams of fat by 9 calories/gram = calories from fat. Then divide the number of calories from fat by the total number of calories to determine the percentage of fat. 9.2 gm fat x 9 calories/gram = 82.8 calories from fat 82.8 fat calories =.418 x 100 = 41.8% or 42% calories from fat 198 total calories Can a non-healthy choice be healthy? Yes it can, but you need to look at the whole meal, not just the entrée. If you consume an entrée that has more than 30% calories from fat, such as Sweet and Sour Swordfish Steak (42% calories from fat), what other foods are you consuming with it? French fries or rice or baked potato? Adding butter or cheese sauce to the vegetables, potato or bread? How much dressing are you putting on the salad? To make the meal healthier: Take a vegetable and slice of bread without butter Limit the amount of salad dressing you put on your salad. Limit the amount of sour cream, butter, cheese sauce you put on your baked potato. Consume non-fat or low-fat milk in place of soft drinks or sport drinks to get the extra nutrients. Eat more whole grains (pasta, grains, breads) in place of French fries. Be cautious of the condiments and sides you add to your meal! If you consume the higher fat entrée with the lower fat foods, the not so healthy entrée may end up being healthier than you initially thought! Now you can check the nutrient analysis, ingredient and allergen information on the web. Note: If you eat an extra two tablespoons of oil daily for one year, that adds up to twenty five pounds (87,600 calories) you will gain if you do not exercise regularly. Help Prevent Cross Contamination In Self Service Areas It would be greatly appreciated if everyone could keep one utensil for each item on the serving line and salad bar to prevent cross contamination. By using a utensil for more than one item (entree with nuts to entree without nuts), it can be life threatening to students with food allergies. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

3 Available now! Nutrient Analysis, Ingredients and Allergens of Dining Commons Recipes Our web site, (Daily Menu Tab) will give you the nutrient analysis, ingredients and allergen information. This will especially be helpful for students with medical conditions (diabetic, celiac disease, lactose intolerance or food allergies). Students with food allergies must work with our staff to double check some ingredients if not listed on the web (such as sauces, mayonnaise, mustard, etc.) as we may have different brands and some may be safe, while others may not be. In order to stay healthy and eat right, it is recommended that you: 1. Eat breakfast. 2. Eat a variety of foods from ALL the food groups in proper portion sizes. 3. Eat foods and drink alcohol in moderation (within reasonable limits, not excessive or extreme). 4. Eat an assortment of colors; the more colors you eat, the more nutrients you consume. 5. Eat more steamed, grilled and baked foods and less fried foods. 6. Eat more fruits and vegetables shoot for 5-9 servings per day. 7. Eat a diet consisting of 50-65% calories from carbohydrates (half from whole grains), 25-30% calories from fat and 15-20% calories from protein. Carbohydrates, protein and fat provide calories. Vitamins, minerals and water do not provide calories, but are necessary to live a healthy life. 8. Exercise minutes five days each week. 9. Make one little change each day and before you know it, it will become a habit! 10. Learn more about eating healthy and general nutrition information: Remember, moderation, balance and variety are the key to eating healthy!

4 To Navigate this site: Click on the dining commons you plan to eat at. The menu for the day will appear. Click on the apple for the menu and nutrient analysis. Click on the menu item name, such as Sweet and Sour Swordfish to get the nutrient analysis, ingredient and allergen information for this menu item. Students with Food Allergies: Be aware: there are some products, such as Sherry Cooking Wine and Light Soy Sauce, which do not have ingredients listed as we have multiple brands. Some brands may be safe, but others may not be, so check with the staff if the product has an allergen you must avoid. Note: If the menu item name is in UPPER CASE FORMAT, it means that the nutrient analysis is not accurate and will be updated soon.

5 To see the nutrient analysis of a whole meal, click on the box to the left of the menu items and then, after the icons, type in the number of portions you plan to eat. Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Report button. Two different meal options were selected to demonstrate how to interpret the nutrient analysis below. Option A (Swordfish, French Fries and Corn) Option B (Swordfish, Whole Wheat Pasta and Corn) How do you interpret this screen? How do you interpret this screen? On the chart, in the columns for carbohydrates, protein and fat, the number in parenthesis (percent caloric intake) under the number of grams of the nutrient. The percent caloric intake is the percent of calories that comes from a specific nutrient (carbohydrates, protein and fat) for one item or all the items selected. Look at the percent caloric intake for French Fries, Options A and B, and the national recommendation for daily intake. Item % Carbs. % Protein % Fat French Fries (one item only) Option A (meal) Option B (meal) National Recommendation (all meals for one day) Continues on next page

6 Moderation is the key to healthy eating. Option A: When consuming meals like this on a regular basis, you are consuming more fat than your body requires. Excess fat increases your daily calories which will lead to weight gain. This can then lead to heart and other health issues in your future. Option B: This breakdown of nutrients is in line with the national recommendation and you are eating a healthier meal. National Recommendation: If the breakdown of foods you selected is close to the national recommendation for each meal, you are on the right track! If not, try to make adjustments and look at the overall breakdown to get it closer to the national recommendation. Keep in mind other factors when reviewing nutrient analysis Fiber It is recommended to consume grams of fiber daily from whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes. This includes not just the meals, but snacks as well. Sodium Try not to go above 3000 mg of sodium per day. Limit sodium to less than 1000 mg per meal (breakfast will probably be less). See what your intake is for one meal. Make adjustments as needed to try to make total sodium intake to mg for the entire meal. Calcium The average college student should consume 1000 mg of calcium per day. An eight ounce glass of milk (cows, soy or rice) contains about 300 mg. You can see how much calcium you get from non-dairy sources. Iron Women need 18 mg per day whereas men need 8 mg per day. It is estimated that only 10% of iron is absorbed. So eating several bowls full of cereal will not meet your daily intake. Winner of ten national awards from National Association of College and University Food Services: Outstanding College and University Menu for Residential Dining in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Most Creative Nutrition Promotion 2003, 2004, Grand Prize Winner Go to our website: for more specifics to improve your eating habits The nutrition information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only. Information in this newsletter shall not be construed as medical, nutritional, fitness or other professional advice nor is it intended to provide medical treatment or legal advice. We recommend you meet with the appropriate professional advisors regarding any individual conditions.