Nutrition
Mission: Good Nutrition
Goal:
Replace junk food and fast food with healthy, balanced meals that contain lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Rewards:
- You will feel full and satisfied
- You will nourish your mind and body
- The nutrients will lower your risk for obesity, diabetes, and cancer
- You will be provided with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that you need
- You will enjoy increased mental clarity and physical health
10 Tips for Your Health and Your Waistline:
- Trade in your sugary beverages and drink water (8 glasses a day) instead. One can of soda per day = 10 extra pounds per year!
- Stop snacking during TV time. Mindless eating while watching TV is a recipe for weight gain.
- Do away with larger-than-life portions by asking your waiter to wrap up half your meal before he serves your food. This way you’ll cut out half the calories!
- Say bye-bye to white bread and look for labels that say “whole grain” instead. Eat brown rice instead of white rice, and oatmeal instead of sugary cereals.
- Go for skim milk over whole milk—you get the same amount of calcium but way less fat.
- IF you choose to eat fast food, be smart! Super-sizing may be better for your wallet, but it’s definitely bad for your body.
- You can get plenty of protein from low-fat dairy, beans, eggs, nuts, and fish, so make red meat a treat.
- Fresh is best—pick fruit instead of ice cream. Your body will thank you.
- GREEN is a beautiful thing! Make green the color of choice on your plate for nutritional value and lighter meals.
- Slow down! It takes about 20 minutes for you to feel full after eating. Listen to your body so you won’t overeat.
Which foods provide which vitamins? Take a look at the Vitamin Chart to see which foods you can select to power your health.
Links
- Check out this guide to healthy recipes and grocery shopping
- More tips on nutrition
- How many fruits and vegetables does your body need?
- Weight before pregnancy matters! If you are thinking about having a baby, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. Research shows that obese women are at a significantly higher risk for having babies with birth defects.
- Calculate your BMI (body mass index) to find out your healthy weight