MY PLATE is the food guide we use in planning our nutritional needs each day. It was adopted for use in 2011 by the United States Department of Agriculture. It has 5 food group sections.
Meeting your daily nutritional needs is a little like putting a puzzle together. If you can remember 4 things about each of the 5 food groups, you can put the information together to complete a picture of your daily dietary needs and plan meals to meet those needs. Average serving size Total amount needed each day Main nutrient and function Identify sources: which foods go in each group Maintaining good nutrition allows your body to function at levels of optimal performance.
The total amount of food needed from each food group each day varies according to 1. your age 2. gender 3. activity level The amounts listed in this lesson are for the general population; for more specific guidelines, see the website www.choosemyplate.gov Total amount needed each day
All foods in the grains group are breads and cereals that originate from various grains. Can you name a grain and the food made from it? WHEAT/FLOUR and foods made from flour POPCORN Including PASTA CORN/CORNMEAL OATS BARLEY HOPS RICE RYE
You need a total of at least 6 ounces from this group each day! 3 ounces should be un-refined or whole grain products. A measurement of one medium or ¾ cup will usually equal 1 ounce from this group.
Foods from this group provide the main nutrient Vitamin B! The primary function of the B vitamins is ENERGY! Each of the B vitamins has a name and a number assigned to it. FIBER is another dietary contribution from the foods in this group. It is that non-soluble substance that cleans the digestive tract and may lower cholesterol levels in the body. An increase of fiber in the diet may prevent some types of cancer. STARCHES are the type of carbohydrate found in the foods in this group. Your body metabolizes starches (burns then into energy) very slowly.
CAN YOU NAME SOME OF THE SOURCES FROM THIS GROUP? You need a total of 2 cups from this group each day. ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup FRUITS HAVE A HIGH NATURAL SUGAR CONTENT. These sugars are carbohydrates. Your body can metabolize carbohydrates (burn them into energy) very quickly.
Can you name some sources from this group? Some vegetables are considered fruits, because they are the fruit of the vine. Tomatoes are an example. First the plant blooms, and the bloom is followed by the fruit. As a food, however, tomatoes are considered a vegetable because of their naturally low sugar content. ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup Every day, you need a.. a total of 2 ½ cups
Can you measure it in a cup? If so, ½ cup of raw or cooked fruits and vegetables OR their juice equals one usual serving amount. It takes 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables to equal that same amount. Eating 1 medium fruit or vegetable equals one, ½ cup serving. Half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin A is found in dark green and deep yellow fruits and vegetables. Vitamins, especially Vitamin A regulate body processes. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits and vegetables all high in citric acid. Vitamin C has several other functions. It cements body cells together (a deficiency would be characterized by easy bruising). It also maintains a healthy immune system (a deficiency characterized by frequent colds and illnesses). Eat one Vitamin A and one Vitamin C fruit or vegetable each day!
24 ounces in 24 hours! If you re drinking milk, each serving is often 8 ounces (1 cup or ½ pint). Can you list some sources from the dairy group?
Calcium is the main nutrient from this group building and maintaining bones and teeth! A pregnant or nursing woman needs additional calcium. The developing baby will strip the calcium from the mother s skeleton if necessary, leaving her bones and teeth fragile or decaying. This leaves her vulnerable to osteoporosis later on in life.
The main nutrient of this group is protein. Protein builds tissue and muscle. Protein builds tissue and muscle, including skin, hair, and nails. Exercising will tone existing muscle.
Cheese is a double duty food! It can be counted as both a protein and dairy group serving due to it s high calcium and protein content. Meat is the first food we think of in the protein group, however, there are many foods in this group. They all have a high protein content. Can you name some? Fish/seafood Legumes (dried peas and beans) Beef, pork, venison, lamb Eggs Nuts Poultry You need a total of 6 ounces per day! (3 oz. is about the size of a deck of cards.) 3 oz. 3 oz.
AMERICANS LOVE MEAT!...and it s relatively inexpensive for us in the Midwest United States compared to what the rest of the world pays for it (because we have pastures and can raise our own animals). We love it so much, in fact, that we eat far too many servings each day. Many people, especially women, need 5 ounces or less per day. Too many foods from this group raise our cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a waxy, saturated fat produced naturally in the liver and found in the food we eat especially protein group foods. Too much cholesterol in our bloodstream can lead to heart disease.
Not all of it. Cholesterol is produced naturally in the liver. HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins) is actually good cholesterol It is an excess amount of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins) that is bad for you. To keep a healthy heart and arteries, you either have to raise the HDL levels or lower the LDL levels. We can lower LDL levels with diet decreasing the amount of saturated fat intake from the meats group. The HDL cholesterol picks up excess LDL cholesterol and returns it to the liver. But if the LDL levels are very high, these particles build up and cling to the inside of artery walls.
There are some foods that do not fit on the my plate food guide either because the risks of eating these foods outweighs the benefits, OR because they contain little or no nutrients. Condiments: foods not normally eaten alone, but are added to other foods to accent the flavors. Be careful, condiments are flavorful, but often add fats and sugars in the diet that are not naturally found in the food. Coffee, soda, tea, and alcohol have no nutrients, and certain types are high in calories and the chemical stimulant caffeine. Practice caution! Added sugars: frosting on cake, syrup on pancakes, sugar on cereal Added fats: butter on toast, sour cream on baked potatoes, dressing on salad
Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, and come from different plants and from fish. Some common oils are: canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, and soybean oil. A number of foods are naturally high in oils, like: nuts, olives, some fish such as salmon and tuna, and avocados. Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine. LIMIT SOLID FATS! Solid fats are those that are solid at room temperature. Some comes from animals: butter or lard. Others are made through manufacturing processes, such as margarine and shortening. Read food labels, avoiding or limiting foods that contain saturated, hydrogenated, or trans fats. These fats are directly linked to heart disease. Because oils contain essential (mandatory for survival) fatty acids, they should be included in the diet. These essential fatty acids, sometimes called Omega 3 fatty acids, reduce inflammation and help prevent heart disease and arthritis. Oils are also a major source of vitamin E. While consuming some oil is needed for health, oils still contain calories. In fact, oils and solid fats both contain about 120 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, the amount of oil consumed needs to be limited.
With both parents working, Americans have become a country of busy, busy people too busy to take the time and effort to cook nutritious meals. The fast food and food service industry has grown rapidly The goal of the retail foodservice industry is repeat customers not nutrition. The food that is highly marketed has 3 very unhealthy attributes: 1. High calorie content 2. High fat content 3. High sodium (salt) content Limit eating out to 2 meals per week. In addition, when we did have time at home we spent it on the couch, rather than in physical activity.
So, to combat the nation s increasing lack of activity, it is important to eat right AND Every child & adolescent (6-17) should participate in a minimum of 60 minutes of daily exercise, above and beyond normal daily activity levels. Adults should exercise 2 ½ hours or more per week. Moderate physical activities include walking briskly Bicycling Dancing Golf (walking and carrying clubs) Water aerobics Tennis (doubles) Vigorous physical activities include Running/jogging Walking very fast (4 ½ miles per hour) Bicycling (more than 10 miles per hour) Swimming (freestyle laps) Aerobics Basketball (competitive) Tennis (singles)
We get the nutrients (the substances in food that nourish our bodies) out of the food through two different body processes: DIGESTION (breaking down food into molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream) METABOLISM (burning calories into energy)
We can divide all the nutrients found in foods into Water Proteins Fats Carbohydrates Fiber Vitamins Minerals
The primary function of is to Regulate the body processes. They make digestion, respiration, excretion, circulation, sight, etc. possible. There are many different ones, each with a specific job to do.
Is a non-soluble dietary substance that pushes the waste products of digestion through the lower intestinal tract, keeping it cleaned out. This is a healthy benefit directly linked to the prevention of some types of cancer. The liver converts excess cholesterol into bile acids; fiber binds with those bile acids increasing the excretion of cholesterol from the body. Therefore, high fiber diets, with fiber found in the grains group, can lower the arteryclogging waxy fat called cholesterol. That in turn, may decrease the risk of heart disease.
Functions: Provides Energy Provides Satisfaction Provides Flavor Cushions Vital Organs Provides Warmth
There are Two Types: Sugars Starches Function: carbohydrates are a major source of calories, and therefore are a major source of energy when they are burned up If too many are eaten, however, they are stored as fat in the body
Sources: What you Drink In the Foods you Eat Functions: Helps Regulate Body Temperature Carries out Waste (Feces and Urine) Necessary for Digestion A Major Portion of Blood
The primary function of is to Build the skeletal structure of bones and teeth. There are many different kinds, each with a specific assignment.
The primary function of is to Builds muscle, tissue, skin, hair, and nail cells. There are different types; each type with a specific function.