Nutrition
Do I Need a Multivitamin?
The Food Guide Pyramid is a useful tool for healthy eating. Choosing a variety of foods from each of the food groups, in the appropriate number of servings, provides the best source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients our bodies need. Rate your eating habits using the following quiz provided by the American Dietetic Association.
On most days do you:
- Eat 6-11 servings of grains (breads, cereal, rice, pasta and other grain foods)? One serving equals one slice of bread, ½ cup of rice or pasta, 1 ounce of cereal or half a bagel.
Yes = 3 No = 0 - Eat at least 2 servings of fruit? One serving equals 1 piece of fruit, ½ cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit, or ¾ cup of fruit juice.
Yes = 3 No = 0 - Eat at least 3 servings of vegetables each day? One serving equals ½ cup of cooked or chopped vegetables, 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables, or ¾ cup of vegetable juice.
Yes = 3 No = 0 - Generally eat the same foods each day?
Yes = 0 No = 3 - Eat 2 or more servings of dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt each day? One serving equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese.
Yes = 3 No = 0 - Eat 2 to 3 servings of lean meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts every day? One serving equals 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish. One egg, ½ cup of cooked beans, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of meat.
Yes = 3 No = 0 - Frequently skip meals or miss out on one or more food groups for the entire day?
Yes = 0 No = 3
Scoring
15 points or more: You are a Food Guide Pyramid expert. You are able to make wise food choices and get the variety of foods your body requires.
9-12 points: You are one your way.. By fine-tuning your food choices, you could be getting a few more nutrients. For example, if you fall short in the fruit group, try including at least one more fruit per day.
0-6 points: Keep trying! Small changes over time can improve your eating pattern. Focus on one food group at a time and aim for the minimum number of servings. Once you've mastered one food group, try another group.
Even with the best intentions, some people fall short on their nutrient intakes. A multivitamin/mineral supplement may help when:
- Your hectic lifestyle frequently keeps you from eating the recommended number of servings from the food guide pyramid
- You are elderly and not eating as much as you should
- You are a strict vegetarian
- You can't drink milk, or eat cheese or yogurt
- You are a woman of childbearing age who doesn't get enough folate from fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.
Remember that a multivitamin does not make up for a lousy diet. Eating a healthy diet and taking a supplement may be the best of both worlds. A registered dietitian can help you evaluate your eating pattern and determine whether a vitamin/mineral supplement is right for you.
Kitchen Nutrition
Keeping vitamins in food
- Leave edible skins on vegetables and fruits. If you do trim the skin, trim away as little as possible. Many vitamins and minerals are found in the skin or just underneath it.
- Cook fruits and vegetables in a minimum amount of water - or better yet use none at all. Steaming or microwaving vegetables and fruits is the best way to cook them. Steaming retains most of the nutrients because vegetables never come in contact with water.
- Cover vegetables while cooking. This speeds cooking time and retains nutrients.
- Avoid soaking fruits and vegetables as you wash them. Certain vitamins dissolve in water.
- Include raw vegetables and fruits in your diet. Cooking vegetables can destroy some vitamins.
- Save liquid from cooking vegetables; add it to soups, stews, and sauces. This is one way to "recycle" vitamins and minerals that may be otherwise lost when the cooking water is discarded.
Page updated: 3/27/08
