Nutrition Guide
Serving Size - Everyday examples
can help you compare your
portion size

1 cup
green salad ................................................................ is a fist or a tennis ball

􀁹 1 baked potato..................................................................... is a fist or a tennis ball

􀁹 ¾ cup tomato juice ............................................................. is a small Styrofoam cup

􀁹 ½ cup cooked broccoli........................................................ is a scoop of ice cream or a
light bulb

􀁹 ½ cup serving........................................................................ is 6 asparagus spears/7 or 8
baby carrots/1 ear of corn

The Fruit Group

􀁹 ½ cup of grapes (15 grapes)............................................. is a light bulb

􀁹 ½ cup of fresh fruit........................................................... is 7 cotton balls

􀁹 1 medium size fruit ............................................................ is a fist or a tennis ball

􀁹 1 cup of cut-up fruit .......................................................... is a fist or a tennis ball

􀁹 ¼ cup raisins......................................................................... is a large egg or a golf ball

The Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group

􀁹 1½ ounces cheese................................................................ is a 9-volt battery or your
index and middle fingers

􀁹 1 ounce of cheese ............................................................... is a pair of dice or your
thumb

􀁹 1 cup of ice cream .............................................................. is a large scoop the size of a
tennis ball

The Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
Calories

Calorie has become a household word, although exactly what a calorie
does is a mystery to many. Ask one hundred people what a calorie is and
most will tell you it is "the thing in food that makes me fat." Calories
have gotten a bad reputation and are considered by many to be the
enemy. Few people truly understand what a calorie is and why it is so
important to their bodies.

The important word to take away from this definition is ENERGY. Calories are
ENERGY that fuel our bodies; much like gasoline fuels our cars. Without
sufficient calories our heart would not beat, our lungs would not function,
and our brain would not work. Many of us have no idea how many calories our
body needs just to exist.

If you exceed the number of calories your body requires each day you
will eventually gain weight. It takes an excess of 3500 calories to gain 1
lb. of fat. For example, if your body needs 2000 calories a day to
maintain its current weight and every day you consume 2500 (one 20 oz
Mocha Swirl Latte could add 500 calories) in one week you would gain 1
lb. One day of overindulging does not cause instant weight gain.
What makes a calorie
1g
carbohydrate contains
4 calories.
1g protein contains 4
calories.
1g fat contains 9
calories.
What makes a calorie
1g
carbohydrate contains
3.75 calories.
1g protein contains 4
calories.
1g fat contains 9
calories.
Calories from FAT

Fat calories are calories of fat
origin.
Fats are food substances that the
body needs to build its constituents.
Fats are also used as body fuel to
produce warmth. If fats are not
burned for energy, they are
accumulated in fat cells. Some
people consume more fats than are
needed for the body
Saturated Fat and Trans Fat

Saturated Fat - Like all fats, saturated fats are a source
of fuel for the body, aid in absorption of fat-soluble
vitamins, are used to build cell membranes, and hold
other purposes. The human body can make all the
saturated fat it needs.

Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat with
trans-isomer (E-isomer) fatty acid(s).

The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of
coronary heart disease[1][2] by raising levels of LDL
cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL
cholesterol
Cholesterol

Lipids are fats that are found throughout the body.
Cholesterol, a type of lipid, is found in foods from
animal sources. This means that eggs, meats, and
whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and
ice cream) are loaded with cholesterol — and
vegetables, fruits, and grains contain none.

Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the
bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins.
These proteins act like trucks, picking up the
cholesterol and transporting it to different parts of the
body. When this happens, the cholesterol and protein
form a lipoprotein together.
HDL and LDL

The two most important types of lipoproteins are highdensity lipoproteins (or HDL) and low-density
lipoproteins (or LDL). You've probably heard people call
LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" and HDL cholesterol
"good cholesterol" because of their very different
effects on the body. Most cholesterol is LDL cholesterol,
and this is the kind that's most likely to clog the blood
vessels, keeping blood from flowing through the body
the way it should.

On the other hand, HDL cholesterol removes cholesterol
from the blood vessels and carries it back to the liver,
where it can be processed and sent out of the body
Sodium

Sodium is salt. Our bodies need no more than 2400mg
of sodium per day.

1 teaspoon of salt contains about 2400 mg of sodium
Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an ideal source
of energy for the body. This is
because they can be converted
more readily into glucose, the form
of sugar that's transported and used
by the body, than proteins or fats
can.
There are two types of
carbohydrate: complex and
simple

Complex carbohydrates as natural starches
Simple carbohydrates are also known as sugars. They also
exist in either a natural or refined form.
Protein

Protein is required by the body for the
growth, maintenance and repair of all
cells.
Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and
organs and is vital for practically every process that
occurs within the body such as metabolism, digestion
and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the
blood.