Nutrition Tips for National Nutrition Month | The Town Courier

March is National Nutrition Month! It?s a good time to take a few minutes and review your eating habits. Your daily food choices can make an important difference in your health and in the way you look and feel. Eating well involves picking the right foods, and the proper serving sizes. Do you know what the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Older Adults is? Does what you eat follow the dietary guidelines for Americans? How healthy are you eating?

Join us on March 14 at 1 p.m. to discuss ?Nutrition: Learn how a balanced diet can help you feel better.? This program presented by the staff at Sage Orthopedic Physical Therapy.

Here are some tips for making your meals more nutritious:

• Make half of what?s on your plate fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of veggies and fruits ? and eat them often. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables all count. Choose ?reduced sodium? or ?no-salt-added? canned vegetables. Buy fruits that are fresh, dried, frozen or canned in water or 100 percent juice.
• Make at least half your grains whole. Choose 100 percent whole-grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta and brown rice. Fiber-rich cereals are also a wise choice.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. We need calcium and vitamin D to help keep bones healthy. For variety, try lactose-free milk or a calcium-fortified soy beverage.
• Vary your protein choices. Eat a variety of foods from the protein food group each week, such as seafood, beans, lean meat, poultry and eggs.
• Cut back on salt (sodium), empty calories from solid fats, and added sugars. Many of the processed foods we buy have high sodium content. Read the nutrition labels and choose foods with lower sodium. Season your foods with spices or herbs to add flavor; leave the salt out. As a treat enjoy desserts, pizza, cheese, sausages and hot dogs, but don?t make them an everyday habit. Fruit is a healthy dessert choice. Drink water and avoid the sugary drinks.
• Enjoy your food but eat less. Avoid oversized portions by using a smaller plate, bowl and glass. When eating out, choose lower calorie menu options such as dishes that include vegetables, fruits and whole grains. When portions are large, share a meal or take half of it home.

Now that we know what to eat, let?s figure out how much we should eat.

The daily recommendation for older adults is two to three servings of protein, eight to 12 servings of fruits/vegetables, six servings of bread and cereals and three servings of dairy. Sounds like a lot, doesn?t it? However, over the course of a day it really is achievable.

What is a serving size? Without having to get out a measuring cup or spoon, here are some easy ways to judge serving sizes:

Grains:

• 1 cup of cereal flakes = fist
• 1 pancake = compact disc
• ? cup of cooked rice, pasta, or potato = ? baseball
• 1 slice of bread = cassette tape

Fruits and Vegetables:

• 1 cup of salad greens/1 medium fruit = baseball
• 1 baked potato = a computer mouse
• ? cup of fresh fruit = ? baseball
• ? cup of dry fruit or nuts = golf ball or large egg

Dairy and Cheese:

• 1? ounce cheese = 4 stacked dice or 2 dominoes
• ? cup of ice cream = ? baseball

Proteins (meat, fish, etc.):

• 3 oz ounce meat, fish, and poultry = deck of cards or the palm of your hand
• 3 ounce grilled/baked fish = checkbook
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter = ping pong ball

Fats:

• 1 teaspoon margarine or spreads = 1 die (from a pair of dice)

For more information on nutrition for seniors, visit us at the senior center. We have a variety of literature. You are also invited to join us for a nutritious lunch Monday ? Thursday.

Editor?s Note: Susan Hofstra is coordinator of the Urbana Senior Center, Frederick County Department of the Aging.

Source: http://www.towncourier.com/urbana/2012/02/28/nutrition-tips-for-national-nutrition-month/

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