As an educator, I am asked by parents on an almost weekly basis about how to make sure their children get the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the meals they eat. I'm also asked a great deal about caloric input and how to determine what foods are best to eat.
There are two things I recommend.
One: Go to MyPyramid.gov and create a Food Pyramid and daily meals that are tailored to your own personal size, weight, goals, and needs.
Two: Read the Label.
Most foods available nowadays have Nutritional Food Labels posted on them. They tell the serving size and the amounts of nutrients contained in each one. Remember: NOT EVERY BAG OR CAN IS A SERVING!!! Serving Size is based on cups or ounces of foods, not the size or volume of that food. For example: A small bag of Cheetos, which most kids scarf down in one sitting, contains enough Cheetos for 2 and a half servings! If you...or your child...ate the whole bag, they would have ingested nearly 26 grams of FAT. That's nearly 41% of your daily requirement* and is more fat than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese has!
In order to understand how to read these Labels, I recommend clicking the link below.
US FDA/CFSAN: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
*based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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