Getting Nutrition Facts Straight

To be successful at weight loss and weight control you need to be knowledgeable about the food you eat. An important first step is to know what to eat. Food can be broken down into five different food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. Oils also need to be a part of your everyday diet. They help the body absorb vitamins and minerals. It is important to eat foods from all of the food groups. The easiest way to start is to try to incorporate five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. This will help insure that you are getting a variety of vitamins and minerals. Next it is important to choose a variety of foods from each food group. You are more likely to get all the nutrition your body requires if you eat from the five food groups every day.

Getting the proper nutrition requires that you know what a serving size is and how many servings you should eat a day. The recommendations are as follows:

• 2-3 servings of fruits
• 2-3 servings of vegetables
• 4-8 servings of grains
• 3-4 servings of dairy
• 3-4 servings of protein
• limited number of calories from oils and sweets

It might sound like a lot of food; however, a serving size may be a 1/2 cup of milk, or a piece of whole grain bread. There are many books and websites available to help you know what foods fall under each food group and how to put them together for a balanced nutritious diet. Understanding serving sizes will help with portion control. You may be eating the right foods; however, even too much of a good thing can cause you to gain weight.

Another way to make sure you understand what kind of nutrition you are feeding your body is to read food labels. Almost all foods you buy in the grocery store have a label with calories, fat content, serving sizes, protein and all the other nutrition facts related to that food. You may be surprised by some of your findings. Understanding nutrition and how to eat is a huge step towards your goal for weight loss and weight control.

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