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You’ve probably heard about lots of different diets. Let’s see, the “carb,” “low carb,” “low fat,” etc. just to name a few. There is not a single “perfect” diet that’s right for everybody. In fact, health experts do not recommend “diets” for children. Choosing appropriate size portions of healthy foods is the best way to reach and stay at a weight that’s right for you.
Our Nutrition program is balanced to help you get important nutrients and the basic food groups. It’s sensible and flexible, too, to make it easy for you to stay on track. Healthy eating and balanced meals are the goal!
What you should eat!
Food gives our bodies energy. But when we eat more food than you need, our bodies store that extra energy as fat. If we choose smart, smaller portions and eat healthier food our bodies start to use that stored fat and provide energy.
Activity and exercise also help us use the stored energy.
When the energy in our food equals the energy we use, our body stays the same.
When our food contains more energy than we need our body stores it as fat. This makes us gain weight, and it puts more stress on our heart, lungs, muscles and bones.
When we get more exercise and choose smaller portions of healthier foods, we begin to use up the stored energy in our bodies, and we lose fat.
We all use some energy for everyday activities like getting dressed; go to school, walking to a friend’s house, even sleeping. Getting more exercise is a great way to use more energy. It helps our hearts, our minds and bodies, which makes us feel good. So along with a meal plan, you’ll get material to guide you and your family in activities that will make fitness part of your everyday life and future!
Your Fitness coach will provide you with a meal plan that shows how many servings from each food category you should eat each day, with suggestions for some healthy snacks.
Your Goal!
A good goal for your healthy eating and exercise plan is to lose 10 percent of your starting weight. A 10 percent weight loss can make a difference in helping you feel better and move better.
When you reach that 10 percent goal, do something special to celebrate. Then talk to your doctor or nurse about setting a new goal, either by losing some more weight or maintaining your new weight.
Eat A Balanced Meal!
Every day you’ll choose the recommended number of portions from these food groups: Try to eat fresh/organic.
- Fruits
- Dairy
- Vegetables (except for starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas or butternut squash)
- Starches (bread, grains, cereals, pasta, rice)
- Fats
Healthy Nutrition and Six Food Groups!
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fiber to keep healthy. They’re good for your heart and they help your immune system fight germs. Fruits are also a good source of energy.
Dairy products make your bones strong. Your bones keep getting until your late teens, so it’s important to get enough calcium. Calcium can also help your body use energy more effectively and good for your heart and your muscles.
Starches are the body’s main source of energy. The energy in starch is easy for the body to use. Starchy foods (like potatoes and pasta) and grains contain complex carbohydrates that are a more lasting source of energy.
Proteins are the building blocks that help your body repair cells and make new cells. Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs and peanut butter (in smaller amounts) are good sources of protein.
Fats supply the body with important essential fatty acids and cushion our bones and organs. A little fat goes a long way. Ounce for ounce, gram for gram, fat contains twice as much energy as proteins or starch. That’s why it’s important to limit fat servings, and to keep an eye on the amount of fat in prepared foods or fast foods. Otherwise, our body turns that extra energy into body fat.
Snacks
You can use one or more of your daily servings as a snack. A good snack is one serving of fruit or a cup of milk (skin or1%) or l0w-fat yogurt 6 oz. container).
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