Portion Distortion

Getting the appropriate number of calories to maintain a healthy weight comes down to controlling portion size. Accurately estimating portion sizes in our diet can be tricky. Restaurant portion s are increasingly oversizes compared to what we should be eating at home even the plates themselves have actually grown in recent years.

The average 30-year-old woman with a sedentary lifestyle (desk job) needs to consume approximately 1800 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight. Ideally that translates into a daily consumption of 5 fruit and vegetable servings, 6 servings of grain, 5 ounces of meat or beans and 3 servings of non-fat dairy foods. The challenge in designing a diet comes down to determining the calorie requirement and translating it into menu selection with proper portion sizes.

Got Milk?

Low-fat dairy products are very beneficial for the heart as well as bones. Most people know that calcium, as found in milk, is the building block of bones and teeth, but now we know that calcium also reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure and works to strengthen the heart muscle.
Dairy products are just about the only food that can supply an adequate amount of calcium. Low-fat dairy products are recommended for all ages from 2 years and up and are especially important for growing teenagers, pregnant women and nursing mothers. The current recommendation is for three 1 cup servings or nonfat or low-fat dairy products daily for adults and four servings for teenagers. In addition to calcium, diary products also provide Vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium to be absorbed.