1. Eat a variety of nutrient rich foods. You need more than 40
different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies
them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other
whole grain products; fruits; vegetables, dairy products; and meat,
poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat
depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid
and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods.
Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta
group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4
servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy
some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through
cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you
depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and
heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood
pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer
and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for
osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If
you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian
can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight
management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a
health weight.

4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable,
it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you
know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces,
similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit
is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice
cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for
information on recommended serving sizes.

5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control
hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're hungry, it's also
tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals
can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack
becomes an entire meal.

6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for
pleasure, as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in
fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods
you eat and how often you eat them. Identify major sources of
these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary.
Adults who eat high fat meats or whole milk dairy products at
every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition
Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
Choosing skim or low fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef can reduce fat intake significantly. If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just
eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a
take-home bag or a smaller portion.

7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to
be "perfect". When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select
other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on
any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food
choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you
first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down
everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according
to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces
or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut
back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables?
If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.

9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "super foods" or
easy answers to a health diet, don't expect to totally revamp your
eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the
way of success. Begin to remedy excess of deficiencies with
modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits.
For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk try low fat.
Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based
on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is
"good" or "bad". Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple
pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in
moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and
variety that are vital to good health.

The average college student is often pressed for time, under a lot of stress and eating on the go. You may find it difficult to avoid bad habits like skipping meals or frequenting fast food restaurants. But eating a healthy diet can help you feel better, cope with stress and perform better in the classroom and on the athletic field. It really isn't that hard to get started.

1. Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that skipping breakfast
detracts from scholastic achievement. When there isn't time to sit
down and enjoy your morning meal, grab a bagel, piece of fruit,
and some juice. Most of these items can be easily stored in your
dorm room.

2. If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely. Choose pizza with half
the cheese, a regular size roast beef sandwich, baked potato, or
green salad with reduced calorie dressing. Limit high fat offering
like french fries, fried chicken or fish sandwiches and watch out
for salad dressing.

3. Keep healthful snacks on hand so if hunger strikes during a late
night study session, you won't be tempted by vending machine
candy, chips, or ice cream. Possibilities include fresh or dried
fruit, pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat
crackers. If you have refrigerator, consider raw vegetables with
low fat yogurt or cottage cheese dip.

4. Eat plenty of foods that are rich in calcium. People in their early
twenties need to be building up stores of calcium in their bodies to
prevent osteoporosis in late life.If you don't like milk, try to include
ample amounts of low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, and green leafy
vegetables in your diet.

5. If you need to lose weight, do it sensible. Starvation and/or diets
that offer a quick fix usually backfire and are harmful. There is
no truth to the theories that suggest eating foods in any particular
combination will promote weight loss. The only safe way to lose
weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off is to eat a balanced
diet.

6. Sugar provides calories in your diet but few other nutrients and it
contributes significantly to tooth decay. Use it sparingly and
consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal and fruit with diet
sweeteners instead.

7. The dining hall salad bar can be either an asset or a detriment to
your diet depending on how you choose from it. Of course, leafy
greens, raw vegetable and fresh fruit are beneficial. But if you
choose lots of creamy dressing, bacon bits, and mayonnaise
based salads, the calories and fat may equal or even exceed
those of a burger and fries.

8. If you drink alcohol, keep in mind that it supplies calories but no
nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine, or an ounce of
liquor each has about 100 calories. There are also many health
problems associated with drinking alcohol.

9. Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least eight glasses a day,
and if you exercise vigorously, you may need more. To remind
yourself, carry a water bottle along to class and keep it handy
during late night study sessions.

10. Remember, food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies.
Enjoy and savor it.

Breakfast on the Run......................................

Why eat a healthy breakfast?

• replenishes your body and mind, gives you energy to move and think
• provides valuable nutrients like fiber, Vitamin C, and calcium
• breakfast eaters are healthier overall than breakfast skippers
• skipping meals sets some people up for overeating the next meal

1. Include at least three pyramid food groups; grains, fruit, vegetable, dairy, and meat.
2. Plan for breakfast, have the right ingredients and breakfast foods on hand.
3. Get up a few minutes earlier in the morning to ensure a good breakfast.
4. Skip the drive-thru window, typical fast food breakfasts are high in fat, sodium and Kcal with minimal fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Eat Smart!!

• Eat only at a dining table (not in the car or in front of the TV)
• Find ways to reduce stress that don't involve food, exercise is the best way!
• Follow the food guide pyramid to stock your kitchen or dorm refrigerator
• Keep a food diary and evaluate your choices against the Daily Food Guide Pyramid
• Don't skip meals - if you do, you're more likely to fill the void with non-nutritious snacks
• Reward yourself - but not with food

Regular size or lean hamburger or cheeseburger topped with lettuce, mustard and tomato
Regular size roast beef sandwich
Thin crust pizza with cheese and vegetables, 2 slices or personal pan
Beef or chicken fajitas on soft tortilla
Beef or bean taco with lettuce and tomato only
Broiled or grilled chicken sandwich
Baked potato with vegetable toppings or low fat yogurt or low fat sour cream
Chili with crackers
Salad bar: Non-cream soup, mixed green salads with low-calorie dressing
Pasta bar: tomato sauce with pasta, dash of cheese
1/2 sub sandwich with ham, turkey or lean roast beef, mustard and raw vegetable fixins

Snacking Made Easy
Think out of the bag.........

• Healthiest snacks do not include large amounts of refined or processed food which are often high in sodium and fat and low in fiber.
• Having the right stuff on hand is very important for making fast healthy snacks.

Putting it all together, snack ideas:

Something sweet..................
Graham crackers with low fat chocolate milk Animal Crackers
Fresh Fruit Low Fat fruited yogurt
Smoothie-skim milk and fresh fruit juice Low fat pudding
Baked sweet potato Frozen juice popsicle

Something else................
Vegetable or bean soups
Roast beef sandwich with mustard instead of mayonnaise
Low fat string cheese
Turkey on whole- wheat pita
Baked potato topped with salsa and low fat sour cream

Wellness Inventory - Healthy Eating Assessment
Check (X) to indicate your response.
Yes No
Do you eat breakfast almost every day?
Do you almost eat three or more meals a day?
Do you often have small snacks such as potato chips,
candy, cookies, soft drinks, and so on between meals?
Do you often eat your evening meal after 7:00 p.m.?
Do you usually eat a light evening meal?
Do you usually eat white bread?
Do you often eat sugar coated cereal?
Do you eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables,
meats, breads and dairy products daily?
When you eat meat, do you usually eat the lean cuts?
Do you usually use margarine rather than butter?
Do you usually add salt to your food?
Do you usually drink whole milk?
Do you often eat refined flour products (e.g. pasta,
cake, cookies)?
Do you often eat refined sugar products (e.g. candy,
sugar, soda pop?
Do you usually eat two or three servings of meat or
protein rich foods a day?
Do you usually limit your intake of fat (e.g. whole milk,
salad dressing, gravies, fat in meat servings, margarine,
butter)?
Does your diet contain more shellfish, red meat, and
processed meat than poultry and fish?
Do you often eat foods seasoned by or cooked in pork
or other meat fat?
Do you keep your calorie intake within your usual daily
requirement?
Is your food usually broiled, baked, or boiled rather than
fried?
Do you eat of your meals at home or in the school cafeteria?
Do you eat roughage foods daily (e.g. fresh fruits, bran, raw
vegetables?
Do you drink six or more glasses of water per day?

Disclaimer: The information found on this site is intended as educational information only. You SHOULD NOT rely on the information to make any medical or legal decisions. Any medical or other decisions should be made in consultation with your health care provider. Any legal decisions should be made in consultation with your legal representative. The Student Center for Health and Well-Being will not be liable for any complications, injuries, or other medical accidents arising from, or in connection with the use of, or reliance upon, any information on the web site.