Top 12 Super Foods for the College Student

Super Foods, also known as Functional Foods, are foods that have extra health benefits beyond the nutrition it provides.  Numerous studies, for example, have shown the benefits of including fruits and vegetables in the diet as the antioxidants in these foods help in the prevention of disease risks.  Super Foods, however, can be found in all the food groups!  This all the more shows the importance of eating a well-balanced diet, as these nutrients always work together in promoting health.   
Begin today by incorporating some of these top Super Foods:

1.      Whole Wheat Pasta.

2.      Oatmeal.

• Pasta falls under the Grains category and choosing the whole-grain version over the regular gives this plain food the “super” kick! Oatmeal itself is a whole grain and a terrific source of both insoluble and soluble fiber.  Start your morning off with a hot cup of oatmeal and mix up the flavors by adding cinnamon, walnuts, or a squirt of honey!

3.      Skim Milk.

4.      Non-fat Greek Yogurt.

• Skim milk and yogurt fall under the Dairy category of MyPyramid, providing great sources of calcium, Vitamin D, and protein. Yogurt, in addition, contains probiotics (friendly bacteria) that can aid in promoting digestive health.

5.      Eggs.

6.     Chicken Breast.

• Under the Meat & Beans category, we find eggs and chicken breast as the top picks. Eggs are terrific sources of protein, and the egg yolks should not be completely eliminated from the diet, as they provide choline, an important nutrient for the brain and cardiovascular system. Other super foods in this category include black/kidney beans and salmon/tuna.

7.      Spinach.

8.      Sweet Potatoes.

• It is important to include a wide variety of colorful Veggies in the diet to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli also contain phytochemicals that can help strengthen the immune system.

9.      Oranges.

10.      Blueberries.

• An excellent source of Vitamin C, these Fruits are packed with antioxidant power! Remember antioxidants tend to work together in the body so be sure to get enough of these naturally-sweet power foods. Apples and Kiwis are also great choices!

 

11.      Almonds.

12.      Peanut Butter.

• These foods can fall under the Fats/Oils Section of MyPyramid so beware of how much you’re eating! Nuts are fantastic sources of monounsaturated fats (healthy fats) and Vitamin E. In research studies, these nutrients have been linked with reducing heart disease risks. Other picks include walnuts, avocados, and olive oil.

It is important to include a wide variety of colorful Veggies in the diet to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli also contain phytochemicals that can help strengthen the immune system.

Do we all have a bad case of Portion Distortion?

We’ve all seen the posters and education tools showing us how to visualize the true portion size of a food: 1 cup of vegetable or fruit should be the size of your fist or 3 ounces of meat should look like a deck of cards.  We may have an idea of what a typical serving size should look like but the problem is how to apply this information in our everyday eating and what to do when servings at restaurants and food establishments are clearly different from what is recognized as a “single portion”.  If 1 ounce of small candy is equal to a small handful, does that mean that is my allotment for the day?  What happens if I am served a pancake that is larger than the size of a CD (which will almost always be the case)?

It is a great idea to try and equate serving sizes with familiar, everyday objects to better visualize how much a cup or a teaspoon of food would look like.  The standard MyPyramid recommends the average person to eat about 2 cups of fruits, 3 cups of vegetables, 3 cups of dairy or low-fat milk, 5-6 ounces of lean protein, 6-10 ounces of grains (preferably whole grains), and limited fats and sugars.  MyPyramid emphasizes that “one size doesn’t fit all”, meaning daily recommendations are based on a set of factors, such as age, weight, height, and physical activity level.  Try visiting http:///www.mypyramid.gov and go to “Get a personalized plan” to see your own recommendations.  Once this is done, you are better able to make decisions about portion sizes and what foods to eat to meet your daily needs.  If your recommended amount for veggies is 3 cups, for example, you can aim to eat about 3 fistfuls of different veggies by the end of the day. 

This same principle is applied when eating out.  An easy rule of thumb would be to eat half the entrée and bag the other half to take home.  You could even split an entrée with a friend.  Keep in mind these portion visuals to help meet your recommendations and not go overboard.  When going to a steakhouse, for example, try to order a steak resembling most similar in size to a deck of cards.  If you’re going to go ahead and order that 6 ounce, just remember eating the entire steak will put you at your daily recommended limit for protein.

Becoming more aware of portion sizes is important in long-term weight maintenance and overall healthy lifestyle changes.  Unless you are aiming to lose weight, it is vital to not go under or over your daily recommended needs.  Sticking with proper portions will keep you energized, improve your mood, and may even impact longevity.  Portions and serving sizes are so easily misunderstood by the public, but now that you know its importance, battle the fight against portion distortion and be empowered!

Click here to see a handy guide on portion sizes!

Be Able with the Food Label!

The Nutrition Facts Label is part of the mandatory information needed on all food packaging.  We see, however, that they are often ignored or commonly misunderstood by the public.  Nutrition labels were intended to help consumers make quick, informed decisions about their food choices, but how do you expect others to use these nutrition labels if they never learned how to read them properly?

The following are simple guides to help you make the most out of the nutrition information provided.  The serving size is where it lies.  The very first step is to take a look at the serving size.  A sample label is shown here.  Starting here is important as all the information shown on the label will be reflective of that serving size.  In this sample label, we see that the serving size is 1 cup, but the entire box of macaroni & cheese holds 2 cups (Servings Per Container).  This basically means that if we ate 1 cup of this product, we will eat 250 calories, but eating the entire box will cause us to eat 500 calories (250 multiplied by 2). 

Beneath the calories, we find total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  These are the 5 nutrients you want to watch out for and limit in the diet.  Be shy of the five. But don’t confuse this with the important nutrients such as fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron – the bottom five you need to survive.  Get enough of these nutrients to meet your daily recommended needs.  This brings up Percent Daily Values (%DV).  What are these and how does one read them?  If you take a look at the footnotes of the nutrition facts label, you’ll see that the %DV are recommended levels of intake, but based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.  The %DV basically helps you quickly determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient.  Remember this guide: 5% or less is low; 20% or more is high.  The %DV allows you to compare different food products to see which one better meets your daily recommended allowances.  Having 5% or lower of saturated fat would be a good thing, while having 5% or lower of dietary fiber may not be the best choice.  Keep in mind that everyone’s dietary needs are different, but the %DV nevertheless serves as a good guide. 

So next time you’re at the store or checking out food packages, don’t ignore the nutrition facts!  Take these easy steps to determine if that product is worth purchasing…and eating.  Knowing how to the read the labels will not only help you be a keen shopper but a smart eater as well!

Feel free to check out the FDA website or other reputable resources for more information: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm078889.htm