United Tribes News
March is National Nutrition Month® — "Eat Right."
By Jill Keith, LRD, Nutrition and Food Service Instructor
27 February 2009
BISMARCK (UTN) - Itís not always easy to eat right. Having the facts about good nutrition can help us make healthy choices and incorporate a variety of nutritious foods in our diet. Take the following fact or fiction quiz from the American Dietetic Association to see if your knowledge of nutrition could use some help!
Eating sugar causes diabetes.
Fiction: Diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin in your body or an inability to use insulin effectively. Since foods that are high in sugar are often high in calories, they contribute to excess weight gain. Research shows that overweight and obesity contribute to diabetes risk.
In a healthy eating plan, all the foods I eat should be low in fat.
Fiction: Your goal should be to keep your fat to 20-30% of your daily calories but you can balance higher fat food choices with low fat choices during the day. Look for foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
Snacking may keep me from becoming ravenously hungry and overeating at mealtimes.
Fact: Healthful snacking (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc) can help your body stay fueled so you will be less likely to overeat at your next meal.
Eating too many carbohydrates causes weight gain.
Fiction: Calories are calories. Consume too many calories from any source Ė fat, protein, or carbohydrate - combined with a sedentary lifestyle and you are likely to gain weight. Excess calories from any source are stored as fat. Carbohydrates are our bodyís preferred source of fuel so they should make up more than half of our daily calorie intake.
Frozen or canned vegetables and fruits are not as nutritious as fresh.
Fiction: Frozen, canned, and fresh fruits and vegetables are all good sources of vitamins and minerals. Many canned items have been processed at their nutrient peak so donít feel bad selecting frozen or canned. However, canned items may have higher sodium content and canned fruit can be higher in sugar so read the label.
Itís easy to spot whole-grain foods, theyíre brown.
Fiction: You canít depend on the color of a product to tell you if it is whole grain or not. Check the ingredient list to see if whole grain is listed.
Iíll gain about 10 pounds a year if I eat 100 extra calories per day.
Fact: 100 extra calories per day adds up to about 1 pound per month. Look at it this way, if you cut 100 calories per day, youíll lose 10 pounds! Add in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
How did you do? Feel like you know a little about nutrition? Think your diet needs some work? Visit with the nutrition professionals in the UTTC Nutrition & Foodservice vocation for more information or if you are interested in pursuing a career in nutrition. Celebrate healthy choices and eating right this March in honor of National Nutrition Month!