Nutrition News is your guide to healthy eating! Browse our site to find health tips,             low-cholesterol, low-fat recipes, and healthy ingredient substitutions.             Read our features or choose a subject from the menu.

March 2002

What's Missing From Your Diet?

When patients come to the Cholesterol Center for treatment, diet instruction is part of their visit. At the initial interview, we ask them what they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A few common patterns seem to emerge.

Most adults and many children are not eating or drinking dairy products. The recommendation for a healthy diet is 2 servings of dairy for adults and 4 to 5 for children. A serving is:

• 8 ounces milk
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup yogurt

The Value of Dairy

One percent or less milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt supply 12 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams of protein, and 2 grams or less of fat per serving. Eight ounces of skim milk also provides:

• 10% of the RDA for vitamin A
• 397 mg of potassium (more than bananas)
• 28% of the RDA for calcium
• 35% of the RDA for phosphorus

The average adult eats fewer than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The recommended number of servings is currently 5 to 7 and may soon be increased to 7 to 9. This may sound like a lot, but the serving sizes tend to be much smaller that you think. (See this month's FYI for some ideas). A serving of vegetables is 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked. Here are the serving sizes for most fruits:

Fresh Fruit Serving Size Apple (raw, 2 inches across)  1 apple Apricots (medium, raw)  4 apricots Banana (9 inches long)  1/2 banana Blackberries (raw)  3/4 cup Blueberries (raw)  3/4 cup Cantaloupe (5 inches across)  1/3 melon or 1 cup cubed Cherries (large, raw)  12 cherries Figs (raw, 2 inches across)  2 figs Grapefruit (medium)  1/2 grapefruit or 3/4 cup segments Grapes (small)  15 grapes Honeydew melon (medium)  1/8 melon or 1 cup cubed Kiwi (large)  1 kiwi Nectarine (1-1/2 inches across)  1 nectarine Orange (2-1/2 inches across)  1 orange Peach (2-3/4 inches across) 1 peach Pear  1/2 large Pineapple (raw)  3/4 cup Plum (raw, 2 inches across)  2 plums Raspberries (raw)  1 cup Strawberries (raw, whole)  1-1/4 cups Tangerine (2-1/2 inches across)  2 tangerines Watermelon (cubed)  1-1/4 cups

Including 2 servings of dairy products and 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet will reap great health benefits. It will help prevent many forms of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as reducing your risk of osteoporosis.       For Your Information:   The Veggie Challenge Do you cringe when you see how many servings of vegetables you and your family are supposed to eat vs. what you do eat? Here are some easy ways to add servings of these healthy foods:   · puree cooked veggies and add to soup, gravy, or pasta sauce · serve raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower with a fat-free or low-fat dip (see this month's recipes) · include raw spinach and other dark green lettuces in salads · add sautéed, minced veggies to pizza · serve V-8 as a cold beverage or a soup base · make homemade salsa and serve with Baked Tostito's as a snack

  
Low Fat Cooking
Veggie Dips

Here are some delicious dips to serve with fresh veggies. They are very easy to prepare and are very low in fat.

In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Nutrition Information for Dill Dip: (Nutrients for 2 tablespoons:)

Calories 44 Sodium 163 mg  Total Fat 1 g  Carbohydrate 7 g Cholesterol 1 mg Protein 1 g

Add dressing mix to sour cream; blend well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Nutrition Information for Ranch Dip: (Nutrients for 2 tablespoons:)

Calories 34 Sodium 163 mg  Total Fat 0 g  Carbohydrate 6 g Cholesterol 3 mg Protein 2 g