Nutrition

Sedgwick County > Health Department > Wellness > Nutrition Initiative

A balanced diet is important for everyone. Eating right and staying healthy affects your entire life. Poor eating habits are directly linked to the burden of chronic disease. Click here for a quick healthy recipe idea or healthy tips. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also provides helpful nutrition information on their Web page.

How to Measure Your Meal

There’s a difference between portion sizes and serving sizes. Portions are the amount you choose to eat, whereas servings are the amounts recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Recommended daily servings and sizes follow:

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese - two to three servings

One cup of milk or yogurt
One and a half ounces of natural cheese
Two ounces of processed cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts - two to three servings

Two to three ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or two tablespoons of peanut butter count as one ounce of lean meat

Vegetable - three to five servings

One cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruit - two to five servings

One medium apple, banana, orange or a 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta - four to 10 servings

One slice of bread
One ounce of ready-to-eat-cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta

What Do Serving Sizes Look Like

three ounces of meat = the size of a palm
one medium piece of fruit or 15 grapes = tennis ball
one ounce of cheese (one and a half to two ounces is a serving) = a thumb
one cup raw, leafy green vegetables = the size of a fist
one half cup cereal, cooked pasta, rice, cooked or raw or chopped vegetables or fruit = one half of a fist
One teaspoon of high-fat foods = a thumb tip
one ounce of nuts = two handfuls

How to Read Nutrition Facts on a Food Label

Food labeling is required for most prepared foods such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, drinks, etc. Nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. These products are referred to as “conventional” foods.

The following guidance is intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet. The required nutrients were selected because they address today's health concerns. The order in which they must appear reflects the priority of current dietary recommendations.

The Nutrition Facts panel has two parts. The main or top section contains product specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information) that varies with each food product. The bottom part contains a footnote. This footnote is only on larger packages and provides general dietary information about important nutrients.

Check out the serving size first. The label facts are based on this amount. Note the serving size and how many servings per package and compare to how much you actually eat.

Calories are a measure of how much energy is provided from a serving of this food. The label also tells how many of the calories in one serving come from fat.

The nutrients listed first are the ones people generally eat in adequate amounts or even too much. Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or sodium may increase the risk of certain chronic diseases like heart disease, some cancers or high blood pressure.

People often don't get enough dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve health and reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions.

Note the asterisk (*) used after the heading "%Daily Value" on the upper section of the Nutrition Facts panel. It refers to the footnote in the lower section of the nutrition label, which states: "Percent Daily values are based on recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet." This statement must be on all food labels. The remainder of the lower section provides general dietary information about important nutrients and may not be included if the label is small.

Food Pyramid

A balanced diet is important for a healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of foods from each food group while limiting the amount of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars and salt is a great way to start eating healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture has released a new food pyramid that can be customized for your needs. Go to MyPyramid.gov to create a custom food pyramid that will give you an estimate of what and how much you need to eat. By clicking on "Inside the Pyramid" on the left side of the screen, you can learn more about each food group.

Helpful Hints

Below are a few helpful hints regarding changing unhealthy eating habits:

Be leery of fad dieting. Local registered dieticians may offer advice or provide seminars on fad diets.
Keep water handy as an alternative to sodas and sugary drinks. Add a touch of lemon to liven it up.
Watch out for portion sizes. Especially when eating out, steer clear of those "super size" and "value" meals.
Be sure and eat a variety of foods from the food pyramid.
If you have questions about the nutritional value of a certain food, go to this link to check it out.
Healthy food options