Diet & Nutrition

<p>As a registered dietitian, its my job to&nbsp;assist you in developing a healthier lifestyle. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for healthy Americans ages 2 and older provide some practical tips. Below are a few key messages from the Guidelines.</p> <ul> <li>Watch portion sizes. A serving size looks like the following:</li> </ul> <p>3 oz of meat = deck of cards;&nbsp;1 baked potato = computer mouse; 1 dinner roll = yo-yo; 1 cup cereal = baseball; 1 cup pasta = tennis ball; 1 cup salad = baseball; 1 oz cheese = ping pong ball</p> <ul> <li>Incorporate more fruits and vegetables onto your plate. The usual intake for veggies is about 59% and 42% for fruit. Clearly we could be doing better so add some color to your diet. Fill &frac12; your plate with fruits and veggies.</li> <li>Watch out for solid fats and added sugar. A few examples of foods that provide solid fats include full-fat dairy based desserts or whole milk, butter, and lard. Added sugar can be found in products such as candy, regular soda, grain based desserts, and fruit drinks.</li> <li>Consume less salt. Try cooking with spices and herbs to kick up the flavor.</li> <li>Enjoy more seafood in your diet. Try baked, broiled, and grilled dark fish, such as salmon.</li> <li>Make 1/2 your grains whole grains. This includes brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, quinoa, sorghum, popcorn, and any food with the word &quot;whole&quot; such as whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta.</li> <li>Move more and keep moving! Recommendations are for 2.5-5 hours of moderately intense exercise or 1.5-5 hours of vigorous exercise per week.</li> </ul> <p>Consulting with a registered dietitian can assist you in incorporating these tips from the Dietary Guidelines. You can visit www.eatright.org for more information.</p>