All About Nutrition Resources Part One

The following resources about nutrition are sure to be helpful and fun for both kids, teens and adults. We will post more about nutrition resources as we find them.

Dairy Council of California – Teen BEAT (Basic Exercise and Activity Tracker). How much physical activity do you get? As a teenager, physical activity is important, not just for your future health but for looking and feeling your best now. This quiz will help you figure out if you are active enough, whether it is through a formal exercise program or fun activities.

Check out the “Tools” on the menu for a personal nutritional planner and games.

MyPyramid Tracker — MyPyramid Tracker is an online dietary and physical activity assessment tool that provides information on your diet quality, physical activity status, related nutrition messages, and links to nutrient and physical activity information. The Food Calories/Energy Balance feature automatically calculates your energy balance by subtracting the energy you expend from physical activity from your food calories/energy intake.

Meals Matter — Healthy meal planning is important because you can improve the nutritional quality of your diet by eating more meals at home. Healthy meal planning begins with accurate information about good nutrition and tips for applying that information to your daily life.

Create your own cookbook, find games, meal planning help, nutrition challenges and search for recipes

Smart Nutrition Starts Herel — Links to topics like supplements, shopping, cooking, meal planning, MyPyramid and much more!

Teens Health — A private place for teens who need honest, accurate information and advice about health, emotions, and life. TeensHealth is accessible 24 hours a day so you can get the doctor-approved information you need to make educated decisions — or help a friend who needs advice. There’s a lot of confusing, misleading, and just plain wrong health information on the Web.

If you find these resources useful please leave us a comment.

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A Way To Better Health

A lot of emphasis is placed on eating fruits and vegetables to promote better health. In the coming days…weeks…months, I will be writing a lot about fruits and vegetables so keep reading my posts. This is one…or two…subjects I am very passionate about.

According to US government agencies, compared with people who consume a dietary plan with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful eating plan are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Fruits and vegetables, for the most part, are low in calories and fat, while providing a lot of nutrients and fiber. The USDA’s MyPyramid recommends 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day for a 2,000 calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level. Four and one-half cups is equivalent to nine servings a day…so depending on the calorie level, the amounts can range from 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups (5 to13 servings) of fruits and vegetables per day. The amounts you need depend on your age, sex, and physical activity (see MyPyramid.gov). When adding these to your daily eating plan, remember to eat a variety of different colors such as orange cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes; red strawberries and peppers; green spinach and broccoli; white cauliflower and beans; purple
plums; and yellow corn.

More on this later…

About Eating Healthfully

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and MyPyramid to promote a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and physical activity.

The recommendations are for the general public over 2 years of age. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are reviewed and updated every 5 years and are set to be released in 2010.

For now, the Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing nutritious foods and beverages, maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular exercise, and practicing food safety.

Foods to be encouraged are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products. Choose foods such as lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; limit saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, added sugars, and alcohol.

The food guidance system…MyPyramid…is an excellent tool for making healthy food choices and enables you to customize your eating plan. In addition, the MyPyramid symbol is a reminder to be active every day.

Visit here for more information on Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid