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Portion Sizes
All foods can fit into a healthy diet.
One-half cup is about the size of a light bulb. This would be a serving of cooked rice or pasta, grapes,
or ice cream.
A golf ball is about the size of one ounce or two tablespoons. This would be a serving of peanut
butter, salad dressing, butter, mayonnaise, or cheese.
Three ounces is about the size of a deck of cards. This would be a serving of meat, poultry, fish, or
tofu.
Often food served while eating out is served in large amounts and equals multiple times the
portions we are supposed to eat; use these visual references to keep from overeating when dining
out or eating dining at home.
If you have nothing else, your hand can be used to estimate portion sizes as well. Everyone's hand is
slightly different in size, so it is a good idea to compare your hand to specific portions of foods for
your own reference.
Generally, the size of your fist equals on cup.
The size of your palm equals 3 ounces of meat.
The size of your thumb equals 1 ounce of cheese, and the tip of your thumb equals 1 teaspoon.
A cupped handful will equal 1-2 ounces of a snack food such as nuts
https://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/PatientEducationPackets/Texts/handportion.pdf
https://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/media/pdf/diet/portion-
control-guide.pdf
MOVE! Handouts
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N21_ServingSizes.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N01_AllFoodsCanFit.pdf
My Plate
MyPlate provides a guideline for how to balance your diet overall. Each plate does not have to look
exactly like MyPlate, but your overall diet should.
The MyPlate method can also be applied to combination foods such as soups and casseroles by
thinking of the ingredients that are contained in the combination food item and how the ingredients
would fill your plate. Vegetables can be added to many combination foods to help create a healthier
dish and avoid receiving too much of other food groups from the dish.
Half of what you eat should be non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Choose a variety of colors to
receive a variety of nutrients. Buying different forms of produce (fresh, frozen,
canned) can also help save money at the grocery store.
One quarter should be starchy vegetables and grains. Choose whole grains at least half the time. On
food packages look for whole grains as the first or second item in the ingredients list. Examples of
starchy vegetables you can include in your diet are potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, corn, and peas.
One quarter should be protein foods. Choose lean proteins to help decrease saturated fat intake.
Incorporate different sources of protein in your diet, such as fish, poultry, beef, beans, nuts and seeds,
and eggs.
Dairy should also be included. Choose low-fat dairy. Skim and 1% milk have the same amount
of protein as higher fat milk and very similar amounts of calcium and Vitamins A and D.
http://www.eatrightpro.org/~/media/eatright%20files/nationalnutritionmonth/handoutsandtipsheets/nutriti
ontipsheets/eatrightwithmyplate.ashx
https://choosemyplate-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/printablematerials/mini_poster.pdf
MOVE! Handouts
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Standard/S06_MakingHealthyFoodChoicesWithAHealthy
Plate.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N13_Fruit.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N28_Grains.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N30_Vegetables.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Miscellaneous/M08_KeepYourHealth.pdf
Ugly Produce
40% of produce in the U.S. goes to waste because it does not meet certain cosmetic
standards.
By selecting "ugly produce" at the store, you are helping to eliminate food waste as many
ugly fruits and vegetables are not chosen because of the way they look.
"Ugly produce" is just as nutritious as any other produce, it just may be a
little misshaped, too small, too large, or have a few marks or bruises on it.
Using ugly produce for recipes where it will be chopped up can make it more appealing.
http://www.icpj.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Ugly-Fruit-handout-for-web-post.pdf
*Websites:
http://www.uglyproduceisbeautiful.com/
http://www.endfoodwaste.org/ugly-fruit---veg.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/17/ugly-fruit-vegetable-delivery-service-
food-waste
Reading Food Labels
Check the serving size first; the serving size tells you how big a portion is. The nutrition facts
on the label are listed for one serving. Multiply the values listed on the label by the number
of servings eaten.
Check the servings per container to determine how many servings that particular food
package holds; even small food packages may contain multiple servings.
Keep your calorie goal for the day in mind and think about how each particular item
contributes to your calorie goal.
You want to watch and limit fat, particularly saturated fat and trans-fat, cholesterol, and
sodium. Eating too much of these nutrients can lead to chronic disease, such as heart disease,
high blood pressure, and cancer.
Eat more foods that contain dietary fiber, vitamin D, iron, calcium, potassium.
These nutrients can prevent some chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure,
cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and anemia, and most Americans do not receive enough
of these nutrients.
The ingredients list at the bottom of the food label list all the ingredients in the food item;
these ingredients are listed from greatest to least amount contained in the food product.
Percentage daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. A percentage daily value of 5% or
less contains a low amount of that nutrient, while a percentage daily value of 20% of more
indicates a food item is high in a particular nutrient.
Food Label Claims
Reduced calories/ fewer calories- food items with this claim contain 25% less calories
compared to the original version of the food item. Be cautious with this claim as the food
item may still have a high amount of calories.
Low in calories/few calories- contains less than 40 calories per serving.
Light/Lite= low calorie and low fat. Food items with this claim contain less than 40
calories and 3 grams of fat per serving.
Reduced fat/less fat- the food item contains 25% less fat compared to
the original version; read the label as the food item may still contain a high amount of fat.
Low in cholesterol/less cholesterol- the food item contains 20 milligrams or less
cholesterol per serving.
Light in sodium- this claim means that the food items contains at least 50% less sodium
that the original version of the food item; check the sodium value on the food label and the
item may still have a high amount of sodium.
Low in sodium/less sodium- the food item contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per
serving; keep in mind that we should only have 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day.
Very low sodium- the food items contains less than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving
No salt added/unsalted-
this claim means that no salt was added during the processing of the food item; it does not me
an that the food item does not contain sodium.
https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm274593.htm#overv
iew
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/UCM53
7178.pdf.
MOVE! Handouts
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N10_HowToReadAFoodNutritionLabel.
pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N11_FoodLabelQuiz.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N23_NutrientLabelClaims.pdf
Added Sugar
Some foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, contain sugar naturally. This natural sugar
that is contained in some foods comes with many other vitamins and nutrients.
Avoiding added sugars will help avoid empty calories- calories that contain little to no other nutritive
benefit. Avoid empty calories is a wise decision that can aid in weight loss and help prevent weight
gain.
Some beverages contain high amounts of added sugar; the amount of added sugar that we are taking
in can add up quickly if lots of sugar sweetened beverages are included in your normal daily intake.
Choose water or other calorie free beverages or to avoid all the extra added sugar.
New food labels list the amount of sugar that has been added to a food item. However, if a product
still has an "old" food label, look through the ingredients list for words like syrup, honey, agave,
molasses, and words ending in ose (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose). Keep in
mind that the ingredients are list from largest to smallest amount contained in the food item.
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/DGA_Cut-Down-On-Added-Sugars.pdf
http://www.eatrightpro.org/~/media/eatright%20files/nationalnutritionmonth/handoutsandtipsheets/nutriti
ontipsheets/eat%20right%20with%20less%20added%20sugars.ashx
MOVE! Handouts
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N17_LiquidCalories.pdf
https://www.move.va.gov/docs/NewHandouts/Nutrition/N31_WaterDrinkUp.pdf
Increasing Fiber
Fiber keeps food moving smoothly through our bodies, lowers cholesterol levels and can prevent
heart disease, improves blood glucose control in diabetes, and may lower the risk of certain cancers.
Fiber helps us feel full; this may help with weight control as it can help us eat less.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber attracts water and can help resolve
diarrhea. Insoluble fiber is the non-digestible part of plants that adds bulk and can help relieve
constipation. Both soluble and insoluble fiber are important for digestive health.
Women 50 years of age and younger should have at least 25 grams of fiber per day; women 51 years
of age and older should have at least 21 grams of fiber per day.
Men 50 years of age and younger should have at least 38 grams of fiber per day; men 51 years of age
and older should have at least 30 grams of fiber per day.
Slowly add fiber to your diet, as increasing fiber too much too fats can cause gas, cramps, and
diarrhea.