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Nutrition

Is my diet OK?

Diet impacts you in many ways. At the very basic level, nutrition is important for normal growth and development, and for maintaining good health. By eating right and staying healthy, you will feel better and be able to meet the demands of school and physical activity.

What is the Best Diet for You?

The best diet is one that considers physiological, sociological, and psychological factors. Many different dietary patterns will provide good nutrition, but a wide variety of foods is the basis of an optimal diet.

How do I start eating healthy?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are seven basic principles for developing and maintaining a healthy diet. They emphasize balance, variety, and moderation in the diet and should serve as the dietary foundation for any individual. But these Dietary Guidelines are general guidelines. They don't indicate how much of what to eat.

How do I put the dietary guidelines into action?

The food guidance system (based on the Dietary Guidelines) is an outline of what to eat each day. USDA's new MYPYRAMID is a personalized approach to healthy eating and physical activity. There are six messages to the pyramid.

1. Activity: daily physical activity is encouraged
2. Moderation: Each of the food groups is represented by a different color and wider bands at the bottom of the pyramid represent foods that have little or no added fats or sugars. The narrower top represents foods that have more solid fat and sugar.
3. Personalization: You can visit the MyPyramid web site to obtain your personal pyramid.
4. Proportionality: The different band widths for each of the food groups shows that some groups are needed more than others. The orange band represents grains, the green represents vegetables, the red represents fruits, the blue is milk and the purple is meat and beans. The yellow band represents oils, which are not considered a food group.
5. Variety: Each of the different bands also represents the importance of obtaining a variety of foods from each of the food groups.
6. Gradual improvement: The slogan "Steps to a Healthier You" encourages gradual changes to improve diet and lifestyle.

What should I know about each food group?

• Grains: Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. One ounce of grain is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup cooked rice, cereal or pasta.
• Vegetables: Vary your vegetables. This means choosing more dark-green veggies such as broccoli and spinach and more orange ones such as carrots and sweet potatoes.
• Fruits: Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruit by choosing fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit. Go easy on fruit juices.
• Milk: Get your calcium-rich foods. Choose low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt, and cheeses. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose calcium-fortified foods such as cereals and beverages.
• Meat and Beans: Go lean with protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. When preparing, make sure to bake, broil or grill. Add variety as well by choosing fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

The new food guidance system is based on the Dietary Guidelines. Make sure to visit the MyPyramid.gov web site to develop your own personal pyramid.

Nutrition facts

• The amount of time you sleep affects calorie needs. The more hours slept, the fewer calories needed. And women need more calories at certain times of the month than at others.
• For workouts lasting less than 2 hours, water is excellent for fluid replacement. However, for longer workouts fluid replacement drinks may provide beneficial carbohydrates and electrolytes. Look for drinks containing 15-18 grams of carbohydrates per 8 ounces of fluid.
• When your muscles are working, they use fat and glycogen for the energy they need. Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate. Your body makes glycogen from the carbs you eat. Between 55-60% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. Carb-rich foods include breads, cereals, rice, pastas, dried beans and peas, corn, potatoes, fruits, and fruit juices.

Written by: Kathy Mellen, MA, Registered and Licensed Dietitian,
Health Iowa/Student Health Service

Reviewed by: Sarah Hansen, MA, CHES (Certified
Health Education Specialist), Health Iowa Coordinator

Page updated: 3/27/08