HEALTHY NUTRITION
FOR EVERYONE
Erica Bydlon
Lets start with the basics… Fruit!
• The sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains
seed and can be eaten as food!
• Key thing to remember with fruit is that the fresher it is the better! Try to
stay away from “canned fruits”
• Examples: Apples, Bananas, Strawberries, Kiwi, blueberries, grapes and
many more!
• Fruit is full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber
Vegetables
• According to “My plate” vegetables is broken up into 5 subgroups
• Dark Green Vegetables = broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach,
watercress
• Starch vegetables = corn, green peas, potatoes, taro, water
chestnuts
• Red & Orange vegetables = acorn squash, carrots, pumpkin, red
peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
• Beans and Peas = black beans, kidney beans, soy beans, lentils, split
peas
• Other vegetables = asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets,
cabbage, celery, cucumbers, egg plants, green beans, green
peppers, onions, zucchini
Serving size of Fruits/Vegetables
• *From the USDA’s my plate…and remember each individual is
different and may have different needs!
• Fruits = 1 ½ or 2 cups a day
• 1 large banana = 1 cup
• 1 small apple = 1 cup
• 8 large strawberries
• Vegetables = 2 or 3 cups a day
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 cup of sliced cucumbers
• 1 cup of baby carrots (about 12)
Grains
• Split into 2 groups “Whole Grains” and “Refined Grains”
• Whole Grain: contains the entire grain kernel (bran, germ, and
endosperm
• Whole- wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, brown rice, popcorn, whole
wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas
• Refined Grain: have been milled, removes the grain. It is done so to
improve shelf life but removes fiber, iron and vitamins
• White flour, white bread, white rice, noodles, cornbread, crackers, pretzels
• However, most refined grains are enriched which means they put back
certain vitamins after the processing
Serving Size of Grains
• * according to the USDA my plate
• Women 19+ = 6 ounces daily
• Men 19+ = 8 ounces daily
• Of those ounces, 3 ounces for women should be whole grains and 4
for men
• 1 “mini” bagel = 1 ounce
• 1 “large” bagel = 4 ounces
• 2 slices of bread = 2 ounces
• ½ cup cooked oatmeal = 1 ounce
• ½ cup cooked rice = 1 ounce
Proteins
• All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans, eggs, it includes
many foods
• Beef, ham, lamb, bison, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, chickpeas, almonds,
cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cod, flounder, salmon, snapper, tuna,
shrimp, crab, clams , lobster
• Proteins are the building blocks for bones, muscles, skin and blood.
• Vitamins found in protein rich foods help play a vital role in our
nervous system
• Iron, carries oxygen in the blood- very important for women of child
bearing age and because iron-deficiency anemia is common!
Serving Size of Proteins
• * According to the USDA’s my plate
• Women 19-30 = 5 ½ ounces
• Women 30+ = 5 ounces
• Men 19-30 = 6 ½ ounces
• Men 30- 50 = 6 ounces
• Men 51+ = 5 ½ ounce
• 1 ounce cooked lean beef ( 1 small steak/ filet )
• 1 small lean hamburger = 2 to 3 ounces
• 1 egg = 1 ounce
• 2 tablespoons hummus = 1 ounce
Dairy
• Many dairy products come from milk or made of milk
• Skim milk, low fat milk, reduced fat milk, lactose free, puddings,
frozen yogurt, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, mozzarella, swiss, ricotta,
american
• Intake of dairy can improve bone health and may reduce risk of
osteoporosis
• Intake of diary is also associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular
disease and type 2 diabetes
Serving Size of Diary
• *According to USDA’s my plate
• Women and Men 19+ = 3 cups
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 snack size container of yogurt
• 1 slice of processed cheese = 1/3 cup
• 1 scoop ice cream = 1/3 cup
Oils
• Oils are fats at liquid temperature, not a food group but they do
provide essential nutrients
• Canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, nuts, olives, some fish, avocadoes (naturally
high in oils), butter, milk fat, stick margarine
• Serving Size of Oils
• Women 19- 30 = 6 teaspoons
• Women 31+ = 5 teaspoons
• Men 19-30 = 7 teaspoons
• Men 31 + = 6 teaspoons
Portion Size
• Be careful! Most of our portions today are double what they use to be!
• 20 years ago a blueberry muffin was 210 calories , 1.5 ounces
• Today, the average blueberry muffin which is about 5 ounces has 500
calories
• 20 years ago a 8 ounce coffee with whole milk and sugar was 45 calories
• Today, a 16 ounce coffee has 350 calories
• It would take an hour and twenty minutes of walking to burn 305 calories
• (based on a 130 pound person)
References
• http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html
• GREAT resource!