Nutrition project
By Jonas Salcedo
Are you sure you are getting the correct amount of nutrients that you need each day?
Ask yourself this. Am I getting 6-11 servings of pasta, bread, and/or rice each day? Am I getting 3 - 5 servings of vegatables each day? Am I getting 2-4 servings of fruits each day? Am I getting 2-3 servings of cheese, milk, and dairy each day? Am I getting just the same amount of meat and beans each day? Do I rarely consume foods with fats and oils each day? If you answered no to any of these questions(And I know most of you, if not all of you who see this will to at least one of these questions. I know I would), then pay attention to the facts listed below.
You are not alone
The vast majority of Americans Don't get the nutrition that they need. Why is this? Because it is difficult. 61% of all supermarket foods are processed, pumped with sodium, horemones, etc leaving behind less than 10% of the nutrients that they contained originally. This is why some foods have empty calories. What the companies who make the food don't realize is that we have evolved from cavemen to live off of natural food products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. Fat's main purpose is actually to store energy in case of a famine or food shortage. There is food everywhere in America, there is no famine, yet most of the food we eat is packed with saturated fats and trans fats! Why do people eat so much of it? It makes the food taste better, and it is a really popular flavor enhancer too. That is why we have so many fast food places. That is why the obesity rate in America is the highest in the developed world.
There is hope!
After reading these shocking statistics, you might think, well, there is nothing we can do about our processed diet. Why even bring this up? Well, there are some things you can do to maintain a healthy well balanced diet. It's possible, and you don't even need to sacrifice flavor! If the problem is that most of our food is processed, than take the narrow gate and eat the food that is not processed. Go to the vegetable section in your local supermarket. Rather than rushing over to McDonalds, Wendy's, or even a restraint such as Olive Garden that takes time to prepare food. Rather, make food yourself, buy whole grain bread, fruits, vegetables, chicken, beef(not ground beef, that stuff is processed) Look at the food pyramid above and make sure you are meeting the criteria of nutrients.
Get started now!
Make a meal plan! Make a calendar of the food that you are going to eat for this week! If you enjoy your favorite foods, include them in and eat other foods to meet the criteria of the list above. Or, if you are really committed to living healthy, I highly recommend checking out this website http://www.choosemyplate.gov . This website gives more tips on health than I could ever give to you. It not only has information on food and drinks, but on exercise and health in general. Please check this website out.