Eat Healthier

When the Nutrition Facts don’t tell the whole story

By Chris Little

The Nutrition Facts label the FDA requires on food packaging goes a long way toward describing how well a given food will nourish the average body. But what about people whose bodies and nutrition needs aren’t average? While everyone needs the same basic nutrients—vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat—we may need more or less of these nutrients at different times in our lives.

The USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans single out three groups who have special dietary needs: women of childbearing age, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and senior citizens.

Women who are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant or breastfeeding should choose iron-rich foods and consume plenty of folic acid. “Basically pregnant women should take a vitamin supplement,” says Nadine Wolf, director of Food and Nutrition Services at Hanover Hospital. “That supplement will have the iron and folic acid in it.” Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also limit their intake of tuna and other fish that are associated with high levels of mercury.

Seniors should make sure they eat foods fortified with Vitamin B12, according to the USDA guidelines. “Any cereal is fortified with B12,” says Wolf. “Another excellent source of B12 is fortified soy milk or almond milk.”

You can find more information about the USDA’s guidelines for these populations at www.dietaryguidelines.gov.

 

MyPlate’s Key Recommendations

 

The USDA’s MyPlate nutrition initiative seeks to make healthy eating simple. Here are some of its key recommendations:

Build a healthy plate. Half of your plate (in other words, half of your daily food intake) should consist of fruits and vegetables. One quarter of your plate should be grains—and half of those grains should be whole. Another quarter of your plate should consist of lean sources of protein, including fish and vegetarian choices. Dairy foods should be fat-free or low-fat (1 percent).

Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars and salt. Solid fats are those that remain solid at room temperature, like butter, shortening and margarine. You want to eat fewer foods containing these ingredients. And when you’ve got a sweet tooth, choose fruit instead of cakes, cookies and other high-fat, sugary foods. Choose water over sugary drinks. Also, keep an eye on your sodium intake.

Eat the right amount of calories for you. In general, most Americans can benefit from choosing smaller portions and lower calorie foods.

Be physically active.The average American is too sedentary, so look for ways to be more active throughout your day. You can find tips for this and the other recommendations at www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.