|
March is National Nutrition Month:Start Today for a Healthy Tomorrow! |
New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Released |
You need the most servings of these foods each day. They provide complex carbohydrates
(starches), which are important for energy. They also are important for a variety of
vitamins, minerals and fiber.
*Many of the servings from this group should be whole grain. When you buy cereal or bread,
for example, check the labels for the words "whole grain" or "whole
wheat." They will help supply the fiber you need.
*Go easy on high-fat spreads for breads, such as butter, margarine and mayonnaise. For
example, try toast with just jelly and no butter. Or, on a sandwich, use just mustard.
*If you like crunchy snacks, try whole-grain crackers, a bowl of cereal or whole-grain
toast topped with a thin layer of jelly.
Most fruits and fruit juices are sources of vitamins A and C plus potassium and other
vitamins and minerals. Fruit also supplies fiber, and it is low in fat.
*Eat whole fruits often because they have more fiber than fruit juices, and they are more
filling than juices.
*Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in their own juices rather than fruits canned in heavy
syrup.
*Choose juices that are 100 percent real fruit juice. Punch, ade and most fruit drinks are
made with very little fruit juice. Grape and orange soda don’t count as fruit juices.
*Snack on raisins and other dried fruits.
The foods in this group are the best sources of calcium. They also provide other minerals
as well as vitamins and protein.
*Choose low-fat or skim milk. For children under age 2, serve whole or 2 percent milk.
*Ice milk and frozen yogurt are good choices for dessert.
*For something new at lunchtime, try plain yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit.
Vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins. For example, dark green, deep yellow or orange
vegetables provide vitamin A. Broccoli, cabbage and potatoes supply vitamin C.
Vegetables
also are naturally low in fat and supply fiber.
*Eat a variety of vegetables, not just two or three of your favorites. Different vegetables
provide different nutrients.
*Serve boiled or baked potatoes instead of French fries to help control the amount of fat
you eat.
*Keep a bowl of celery and carrot sticks in the refrigerator for snacking.
From the foods in this group, you get protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc.
*Count 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat, chicken, turkey or fish as a serving.
*Remove the skin from chicken or turkey before cooking or eating.
*Try a meatless meal now and then with a main dish made of dry beans, peas or lentils.
They are low-fat protein foods.
*Limit extra gravy and heavy sauces.
*Broil, bake or boil meat, fish and poultry rather than frying.
The small tip of the Food Guide Pyramid shows fats, oils and sweets. Examples of these foods are butter, margarine, salad dressings, jelly, sugar, syrup, candy, soda pop and desserts. It’s a good idea to eat just a little of these foods. That’s because they provide calories but not as many vitamins and minerals as other food groups.
At each meal, serve foods from at least three different food groups. Some foods, such as tacos, combine foods from two or more different food groups. For foods like this, do the best you can to estimate the servings from each food group.
It’s a good idea to plan for snacks just as you plan for meals. For example, eat one of your servings of fruit as a snack rather than at mealtime. Or eat a snack from the Bread Group, such as low-fat crackers or bowl of cereal with milk or yogurt.
When you plan your meals and snacks, use the Food Guide Pyramid. It will help you eat right every day.
For teen athletes, sports nutrition experts recommend eating two or three hours before a game. That means for Saturday morning games, a good breakfast is important. For late-afternoon games, breakfast, lunch and a light afternoon snack are needed. Stay away from foods that are hard to digest, such as oily, greasy foods. Eat plenty of carbohydrates and starchy foods, like breads, pasta, cereal pancakes or rice. Low-fat foods, such as chicken or turkey breast, are also good choices, along with low-fat milk or yogurt.
It is also important to drink plenty of liquids, one or two cups of water before exercise and another 3-6.5 ounces every ten to fifteen minutes for hot weather and high activity levels. AVOID soda, fruit drinks or juice before the game, because the sugar content can lead to stomach cramps.
It is important that your teen eats a relatively balanced diet from the five major food groups (see information above). Also, it is especially important with teens to monitor their intake of protein, calcium, iron, and total fruits and vegetables. Protein: Many older teenage boys (ages fifteen to eighteen) eat twice the recommended allowance of protein, or more, in the belief that a diet high in protein will give them a competitive advantage in sports. However, the basic facts are simple: Fitness and good performance require an adequate intake of calories and nutrients. With a few minor exceptions, eating enough from the five food groups on the Food Pyramid provides the proper intake; supplements and special preparations are generally unnecessary and may, in some instances, be harmful. Once the body's requirements for protein have been met, excess protein is processed just like any other excess form of calories--it is deposited as fat, not muscle. In addition, chronic excess protein consumption may have adverse effects on kidney function in the long term.
Calcium: As your teen's skeletal mass (size of bone structure) increases, his or her calcium requirements also increase. Girls need about 1300 mg. of calcium daily. (A cup of milk or 6 ounce container of yogurt has 300 mg. of calcium.) During the teen years, more than one-third of a person's bone mass is deposited. If calcium intake is very low, the body maintains normal blood-calcium levels by drawing calcium from the bones. This can have serious consequences: Teens may not develop optimal bone density, which may increase their susceptibility to the disease osteoporosis later in life.
Girls especially, are prone to have too low an intake of calcium throughout the teen years, largely because milk--our single best source of calcium--is so often shunned as fattening. Skim milk is a good, low-fat source of calcium--a fact surprisingly few people realize. Teens who do not drink milk should be encouraged to include other good sources of calcium listed here in their diet.
Sources of Calcium:
Calcium-fortified foods and drinks
Non-fat (skim) milk
Low-fat yogurt, cheese, or cottage cheese
Non-fat dry milk added to meat loaf or hamburger
Calcium-precipitated tofu
Canned salmon and sardines that contain the bones
Broccoli, beans and bean sprouts
Another reason for low calcium intake is the substitution of soft drinks for milk. If a fight develops over "no soft drinks in this house"-- your teen will likely just get soft drinks from other sources. The trick is to think of ways to increase calcium, and it is strongly recommended that the calcium be provided in food, if at all possible. Check with your physician about a supplement if your teen does not drink any milk or eat any dairy products.
The high intake of soft drinks has been cited as a major contributor to childhood obesity by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control. Talk to your teen about how his or her health can be seriously affected by soft drinks. Suggest a voluntary limitation--one serving per day or less.
IRON: Iron helps the blood carry oxygen to the cells. People can feel tired if they become anemic from not getting enough iron in their diet. Iron requirements increase in adolescence because of the greater muscle mass and blood volume associated with the growth spurt. Refer to the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) chart for ages eleven to eighteen, located at the end of this article, to help plan for the amount your teen needs. The onset of menstruation slightly increases the iron requirements for girls. Iron found in red meats (heme iron) is absorbed more easily than iron from grains and vegetables (non-heme iron). Consumption of vitamin C along with grains and vegetables will help with the absorption of non-heme iron, and will also increase the absorption of heme iron.
Teenagers may have difficulty obtaining the recommended 12-15 milligrams of iron a day from food sources alone if their calorie intake is low. Therefore, adolescents need to consume foods with a high availability of iron, such as red meats and peanut butter, or eat combinations of good non-heme sources of iron along with foods rich in vitamin C. An example would be iron-fortified cereal with orange juice and/or an egg with orange juice. Other good sources of iron include brown rice, spinach, green peas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes and watermelon. Your physician can advise you about supplements to avoid iron deficiency anemia, if necessary.
| Girls | Boys | |||
| Nutrients | 11-14 years | 15-18 years | 11-14 years | 15-18 years |
| Protein (g.) | 46 | 44 | 45 | 59 |
| Calcium (mg.) | 1300 | 1300 | 1200 | 1200 |
| Iron (mg.) | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
A Word About Folic Acid:
What is folic acid?
It is a B vitamin that you should take if you are a woman:
- in your reproductive years (from about 15 to 45 years old)
- capable of becoming pregnant
- planning a pregnancy--or in the early months of a pregnancy
Why should I take it?
Folic acid is important if you may soon become pregnant or you are in the early weeks of
pregnancy. It can help to protect your unborn baby against birth defects of the spine and
brain, like spina bifida, or "open spine."
How much folic acid do I need?
The U.S. Public Health Service urges you to consume 0.4 milligrams of folic acid every
day. But you should not take more than 1 milligram daily unless your doctor or health care
provider tells you to.
Where do I get it?
Folic acid is found mainly in green leafy vegetables, beans asparagus, citrus fruits and
juices, whole grain foods and liver. However, it is difficult to get enough folic acid
through diet alone. You can make up the difference by taking a multivitamin supplement.
When should I take it?
You never know right away when you are pregnant. Sometimes weeks can go by before you
know. But you and your baby need folic acid most during the period that starts one month
before you conceive through the early months of pregnancy. So taking one multivitamin a
day now (even if you are not pregnant) can reduce the risk of some serious birth defects
if you become pregnant soon.
DENTAL HEALTH FOR YOUR BABY
When putting your baby to bed for a nap or a night's sleep, do you let your baby have a
bottle of milk, formula, fruit juice or sweetened liquids as a pacifier or comforter? If
your baby is fussy during the daytime, do you automatically give your baby a bottle filled
with any of these liquids or a pacifier dipped in honey? Is your 22 month old toddler
still on the bottle? If you do any of these habits, it could lead to a serious problem
called "Baby Bottle Tooth Decay" or "Early Childhood Caries (ECC)."
ECC is a pattern of early tooth decay (dental caries) that can destroy the teeth of an infant or young child. The upper front teeth are most likely to be damaged, but the other teeth can also be affected. ECC is caused by frequent exposure of the teeth to liquids (containing sugars) for long periods of time. Some of these liquids are milk, formula, breast milk, fruit juices, and sugar sweetened beverages such as cola or kool-aid. When the sugars are consumed, the bacteria in the mouth "eats" the sugars and produces acids that erode the tooth enamel. Each time your child drinks a sugary liquid, the acids attack the child's teeth for at least 20 minutes. Because of this, tooth decay can occur.
It is not just what you put in your child's bottle that causes ECC, but how often and how long the child's teeth are exposed to the acids. It is not wise to offer your child a bottle frequently throughout the day as a pacifier or to let you child nap or sleep at night with a bottle. The flow of saliva lessens during sleep so the liquids from the bottle pool around the child's teeth for long periods of time. Children are also more susceptible to ear infections.
Baby teeth are very important. Your child needs healthy teeth to chew food, speak clearly, and to look good to themselves and their friends. Baby teeth (primary teeth) also help reserve the space in the jaw for the permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost early, there may not be enough space for the permanent tooth to erupt into its proper place.
The "window of opportunity" to wean your child from the bottle is between 9 and 15 months old. Begin diluting liquids or putting water in your child's bottle. If you have to give a child a bottle at bedtime, fill it with water. A child that is 12 months old can learn how to use a cup. A two year old should not be on a bottle! Ask your dentist or pediatrician about weaning your child from a bottle.
DENTAL HEALTH FOR YOUR TEEN
During the teen years, many young people begin neglecting the necessary care of their
teeth. When children are younger, families often take responsibility for making sure they
brush and floss regularly. As they become teenagers, older family members tend to assume
that kids can handle this responsibility themselves, and no longer reinforce the need for
good brushing and flossing.
Teens need a reminder now and then about the importance of taking care of their teeth. Brushing teeth helps prevent plaque, a clear film that sticks to teeth and attracts bacteria that can cause cavities. Plaque can also cause the gum disease gingivitis. It is important to brush at least twice a day, after breakfast and before bed, and to spend at least three minutes brushing the fronts, sides and backs of teeth. Flossing everyday and visiting the dentist twice a year are good habits teens need to practice to keep their teeth healthy.
Teens often develop extreme inflammation of the gums and an increased possibility of decay. Also, it is now known that poor gum health and the bacteria that cause gum disease can lead to problems with the heart and circulation later in life. Families often pay less attention to the diet of teens as well, so it is not unusual to see a big increase in tooth decay (cavities). Ask for advice from your dentist on how to keep track of your child's dental health, and for information on how you can help motivate your teen to take proper care of teeth and gums.
One of the most important things you can do for your children's dental health is to limit the consumption of soda pop! The Missouri Dental Association says Stop the Pop!
Last UPdate: 05 March, 2008