Managing Your Nutrition Understanding Nutrition and ways YOU can improve your eating habits!

Positive & Negative Cards Read cards Sort into 2 piles: positive techniques or negative techniques Be ready to share

Understanding Nutrition Labels 1. Calories: a unit of measurement of energy 2. Fats: we should consume a minimal amount of saturated and Trans fats

Understanding Nutrition Labels 3. Sugar: contributes to higher calorie levels 4. Sodium: essential nutrient, too much leads to high blood pressure 5. Ingredients: you want to look for real, natural ingredients instead of more chemical based ingredients

Reading the Label

What’s That? 10 nutrition food labels will be passed clockwise on your side of the room Guess and record what the foods are Focus on ingredients (if listed) and items we just discussed

What’s That? Answers 1. Doritos 2. Veggie Ramen Noodles 3. Fancy Sharp Shredded Cheese 4. Kraft Mac & Cheese 5.Froot Loops 6. Oreos 7. McDonald’s Fries - Medium 8. Skippy Peanut Butter 9. Digiorno (Spinach, Mushroom, Garlic) 10. Grape Frosted Pop-Tarts

Importance of Portion Control 1. Portion size: amount of a single food item served in a single eating occasion 2. Serving size: standardized unit of measuring foods used in dietary guidance

Tips for Portion Control 1. Request a take-out container while eating out and place half of your meal in the container to bring home. 2. Avoid eating snacks right out of the bag. Measure out correct serving size and place in a bowl. 3. Use smaller dishes when eating at home. This allows you to avoid filling up a large plate

Some More Tips 4. Eat slower. Your body takes roughly 20 minutes to register that food is in the system. 5. Read the label. If you understand the serving size and the contents, you’ll be less likely to overindulge

Hearty Appetites Why are serving sizes so important? What could happen if you didn’t understand the serving sizes?

Simple Serving Sizes 1. A fist = one cup 2. A handful = one/two ounces of tiny snack foods 3. Two handfuls = one/two ounces of crunchy snack foods 4. A thumb = one ounce of cheese 5. Thumb tip = one teaspoon 6. Palm = three ounces

Food Improvement Log Individually Record in the left column the foods you ate for the three main meals yesterday In the right column, write at least 1 improvement for each meal Focus on portion, serving sizes, and nutrition label facts