Nutrition

Understanding Portion size & Food Labels

Portion Size

What do you know about portion size?• Did you know that 3oz of meat, fish, and

poultry is about the size of a deck of cards?• Or that 1 ½ oz of cheese is equal to 4 stacked

dice or 2 cheese slices

Why Are Portion Sizes So Important?

• Our dietary guide lines and daily values of foods all based on portion size

• So how much of each food group do we need?

Daily Recommendations

• Fruit• Vegetables• Grains• Protein• Dairy• Oils

Food Labels

• Basics – Why are they useful?– Serving Size– Servings Per Container– Calories per Container– Grams of Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Carbohydrates,

Fiber, Sugars, Protein, and milligrams of Cholesterol, and Sodium per serving

– % DV (Daily Values)– Important Minerals & Vitamins

Activity/Reflection

• Look at the food label you brought to class with you. Write a reflection based on the nutrition facts on your label.

• Possible questions to answer– Was it Healthy Yes or NO? Why or Why not?– Did you meet your % Daily Values in any of the

categories?– Did you exceed your % Daily Values in any of the

categories? Do you think This can impact your Health in a Positive or Negative Manner?