Orange Veggies!
· Orange vegetables contain beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes healthy, and plays a role in immune function. Orange fruits may also contain vitamin A itself, along with vitamin C. In addition, orange veggies provide minerals such as folate and potassium—AND, they are naturally low in fat and high in fiber.
· Eating orange vegetables will help you feel better and have more energy, and the antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain can also help reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Serving Size Suprises!
If you’ve talked or read about nutrition, you’ve probably heard the term “serving”, as “Try to get about 3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt every day.” This system sounds easy, but when you stop to think about it, just what exactly is a serving? Is it big, small, or somewhere in between? Your idea of a serving might not match somebody else’s.
To clear up any confusion, the new government nutrition guidelines don’t use the term “serving.” Instead they use real measurements -- ounces and cups. So basically, when we talk about a cup of milk, it’s just that: a measuring cup with milk up to the “one cup” line.
Portions from the Grain group are measured in ounces. Eating 6 ounces of bread, grains, pasta, and rice a day can sound like an awful lot, but, in fact, an ounce is pretty small. Here’s an example:
Ø Think of it this way:
1 ounce of bread = 1 regular sized slice
1 regular sized slice is about the size of a CD and as thin as your finger!
A sandwich made with 2 slices of regular bread equals 2 ounces from the grain group – that’s a third of what you should get in a day! And one of those giant muffins you get at the bakery might be three ounces or more--half your daily grains just on breakfast, and you’ve still got lunch and dinner to think about!
Here are some more examples of ounces and cups in each of the Food Pyramid groups.
Grains: (Get about 6 ounces a day)
1 ounce of grains =
- 1/2 cup of oatmeal or other hot cereal
- About 1 cup of dry cereal
- 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or rice
- 1/2 of an English muffin
Ø Think of it this way:
1/2 cup is about the size of a hockey puck!
1 cup is about the size of a baseball or a fist!
Vegetables: (Get about 2 to 2.5 cups a day)
1 cup of vegetables =
- 1 cup of most raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice
- 2 medium carrots or a dozen baby carrots
- 1 large sweet potato or 1 medium white potato
- 2 cups raw leafy green vegetables (like lettuce). Yep, when counting raw leafy green veggies, two cups only counts as one!
Fruits: (Get about 1.5 to 2 cups a day)
1 cup of fruit =
- 1 small apple (2.5” diameter)
- 1 large banana (8” to 9” long)
- 1 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit like applesauce or fruit salad
- 1 cup of fruit juice
- 1/2 cup dried fruit
Ø Think of it this way:
A medium piece of fruit is about the size of a baseball!
Dairy (Milk): (Get about 3 cups a day)
1 cup of dairy =
- 1 cup of milk (a half pint container)
- 1 cup of yogurt ( a regular 8 ounce container)
- 1.5 ounces of natural cheese (like cheddar or Swiss)
- 2 ounces of processed cheese (like American cheese slices)
Ø Think of it this way:
1 1/2 ounces of cheese is about the size of two dominoes!
Meat and Beans: (Get about 5 to 5.5 ounces a day)
1 ounce of meat or beans =
- 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
- 1/4 cup of cooked dry beans or 1/4 cup of tofu
- 1 slice sandwich turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds
So:
1 small steak = 3.5 to 4 ounces
1 small chicken breast = 3 ounces
1 small lean hamburger = 2 to 3 ounces
1 can tuna = 3 to 4 ounces
1 salmon steak = 4 to 6 ounces
1 cup split pea, lentil or bean soup = 2 ounces
1 soy burger = 2 ounces
Ø Think of it this way:
A small steak or chicken breast poultry is about the size of a deck of cards!
Remember: A lot of foods you eat will contain servings from more than one food group.
- A cheeseburger might be 3 ounces of meat, 1/2 cup of cheese, 2 ounces of bread (the bun), and 1/2 cup of vegetables (the lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions).
ACE's Friends
“Ace”
Age: 11½
Grade: 5
Likes: Ace is very friendly & energetic. He likes to teach kids about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle by eating right, exercising everyday, studying hard and getting enough rest so they can always be at their best while still having fun! He encourages his friends to try different activities and new things as well as take the things they learn in school and use it in their everyday lives. Ace also loves to travel and find out neat things about different places and people.
Dislikes: Those who don’t follow the rules, those who don’t share, and those who don’t respect others.
Favorite Foods: Loves all healthy foods that taste great too so he can grow up to be big and strong!
“Marcus”
Age: 11
Grade: 5
Likes: Marcus loves playing sports and is very active. His favorite is playing basketball and soccer with his friends. Marcus is a great team player and is very well liked by his classmates. He loves to learn about all the different places in the world and how they are different from his home. Marcus also likes to try foods from all these cool places from around the world.
Dislikes: When it gets too dark out at night for him to play outside because he can’t see the ball.
Favorite Foods: Marcus loves spaghetti and meatballs. He also likes broccoli because it helps him grow tall and strong so he can be better at sports.
“Ana”
Age: 10½
Grade: 4
Likes: Ana is very artistic and creative. She loves to draw and paint all types of pictures, especially ones the nature and the outdoors. She really cares about the environment and teaches others the importance of recycling things such as cans and paper.
Dislikes: When people litter by throwing their trash on the ground.
Favorite Foods: Chicken noodle soup especially on cold days and turkey sandwiches.
“Zack”
Age: 9¾
Grade: 4
Likes: Zack loves to play outside with his friends, especially when skateboarding. He always wears his helmet and protective gear just in case he falls. He loves to learn about science and space, especially all the planets and how they are different from one another.
Dislikes: Rainy days that he can’t run around outside with his friends.
Favorite Foods: Loves to eat grapes as a snack and pretzels so he can have energy to be at his best during school and after school when playing with his friends.
“Lucy”
Age: 8½
Grade: 3
Likes: Lucy is very interested in learning about nutrition and what foods will help to grow her mind and body so she can be like her big sister. She also likes to keep her mind “fit” by reading tons of books, especially about animals. She loves to ride her bike and play outside with her dog.
Dislikes: When her dog eats her homework and she has to do it all over again!
Favorite Foods: She loves to eat fruits and veggies and salads where she gets to put on her own toppings.