TOPICS
|
|
Family & Consumer Sciences |
|
What's New in Nutrition - MyPyramid
USDA actually released the “new” MyPyramid food guidance system in 2005, so most of us have seen it somewhere, even if only on a cereal box or bread label. But many people still don’t know how it differs from the old Food Guide Pyramid or how to use it as a tool for making healthy food choices. What does My Pyramid teach us about making food choices?
--One size does not fit all. When it comes to nutrient and energy needs, we’re all different, and those needs may change during the course of a lifetime. In particular, how much energy you need and what levels of nutrients varies with your age, gender and amount of physical activity.
At the USDA website, MyPyramid.gov, you can enter those factors and get a targeted recommendation for your daily calorie intake and the number of servings from each of the food groups. The website offers lots of other helpful information, but the personalized recommendation is one of the most important new features of My Pyramid.
--Activity goes hand in hand with good nutrition. The figure walking up the steps on the side of MyPyramid symbolizes the importance of physical activity along with a healthy diet. We all know our culture and lifestyles make it much too easy to be sedentary, so some of us have to make a conscious effort to add physical activity to our lives. Adults need a minimum of 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, but 60 minutes a day is recommended to maintain a healthy weight and 90 minutes if you are trying to lose weight. Children should get 60 minutes of activity on most days. It’s okay to break up the time into several shorter segments during the day.
--Be realistic and aim for gradual improvement. The theme “Steps to a Healthier You” reminds us that it takes time to change eating and lifestyle habits. Don’t try to change everything overnight. Start with small steps and keep going to reach your goals, whether you want to eat healthier, feed your family better or lose weight.
--Variety is the key to healthy eating. It is important to eat foods from all the food groups – Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Oils and Meat and Beans – every day. But it is also important to eat a variety of foods from within each group to get all the nutrients your body needs. Here are some tips from USDA for selecting foods from all the food groups:
1. Make half your grains whole. Choose whole-grain foods, such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals, brown rice, oatmeal or lowfat popcorn, more often.
2. Vary your veggies. Include colorful dark green and orange vegetables such as broccoli, carrots or Louisiana grown greens or sweet potatoes. Also include some starchy vegetables, legumes (beans) and other kinds of veggies throughout the week.
3. Focus on fruits. Include fruits in meals and at snack time, too. Choose fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits, but go easy on the fruit juice.
4. Get your calcium-rich foods. To build and maintain strong bones, both children and adults need several servings of low-fat or fat-free milk or dairy products every day. That can include a glass of milk, yogurt in all its many flavors, or one of the delicious cheeses available to eat or use in cooking.
5. Go lean with protein. Eat lean or lowfat meat, chicken, turkey and fish. Make a change with more dried beans or peas. Add chick peas, nuts or sunflower seeds to a salad, pinto beans to a burrito, or kidney beans to soup.
6. Change your oil. We all need some oil. Get yours from fish, nuts and liquid oils such as corn, soybean, canola and olive oil.
This overview is just the tip of My Pyramid. For more information, visit the USDA website or contact your parish office of the LSU AgCenter Extension Service.
|
| Last Updated: 8/5/2010 9:57:22 AM |
|
Please click a number to rate this article:
|
Have a question or comment about the information on this page?
Click here to contact us. |
|
|
|
|
|