Healthy Eating TipsElizabeth Musso

Definition Of Food Insecurity

“limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways”

Statistics from USDA

Of the 49.1 million people living in food insecure households (up from 36.2 million in 2007), 32.4 million are adults (14.4 percent of all adults) and 16.7 million are children (22.5 percent of all children).

17.3 million people lived in households that were considered to have "very low food security," a USDA term (previously denominated "food insecure with hunger") that means one or more people in the household were hungry over the course of the year because of the inability to afford enough food. This was up from 11.9 million in 2007 and 8.5 million in 2000.

Very low food security had been getting worse even before the recession. The number of people in this category in 2008 is more than double the number in 2000.

http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger_index.html

What Studies Show

According to the American Dietetic Association as well as Canadian research studies, those who are food insecure are most likely to be consuming diets low in vitamins, minerals, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat

Low milk, fruit, and meat consumption and high carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrate sources usually refined and from sugar, which put food insecure at increased risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes

What is “Refined”

Refining is a process by which the fibrous outer bran coating of grains is removed. By this process, brown rice is converted to white rice, for example, or whole wheat is converted to white flour, greatly reducing fiber content.

White rice and white bread, for example, are refined grain products

Why is Fiber so Important?

Fiber keeps food moving through your body efficiently

Fiber helps prevent: *Heart Disease: fiber helps prevent heart

disease by lowering your cholesterol Studies show direct correlation between high intake of

whole-grains and lower risk of Heart Disease Diabetes: Fiber helps control blood sugar levels Digestive Problems: adequate amounts of fiber

from food can help prevent constipation and hemorrhoids

Weight Gain: high fiber foods keep you feeling fuller longer -> eating less

How to Add Fiber to the Diet

Fiber is found in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables

Oatmeal Apples and Pears Popcorn Dried Fruit, such as apricots, raisins, and

prunes Berries Whole grain breads, bagels, muffins

Iron

Necessary for oxygen transport in the blood When you do not have enough iron in your diet it can cause

iron-deficiency anemia Causes tiredness and weakness because not enough oxygen

getting to cells Sources of Iron

Red meat (lean) Eggs Beans and nuts Fortified cereals

Eating Iron with Vitamin C increases absorption Ex. Plain hamburger with orange juice

Calcium

Calcium is required for strong bones and teeth

Yogurt, cheese, and milk are great sourcesChoose low-fat options

A deficiency of calcium can lead to brittle bones and Osteoporosis

Sugar!

Tastes good and makes us feel full fast, but is detrimental to the body

Spike in energy and then energy levels come crashing down after a couple of hoursVs. Fiber, which is healthy and keeps us

feeling full longer (because fiber takes longer to digest)

Sugar

Tooth decay, gum disease Eating too much sugar makes blood

glucose levels spike and then drop leaving you feeling fatigue and exhaustion- may cause headaches

Obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Too much sugar is stored as fat Too much fat leads to obesity Obesity triggers heart disease and diabetes

Malfunctioning immune system Any bacteria and yeast present in the body feed

on sugar and multiply

Healthy Foods For Less

1. Apples• 1 apple costs about $1• Nutrition Info: 117 calories, 5 grams fiber, 17% DV

Vitamin C, 7% DV Potassium

2. Bananas• 1 banana costs about 45 cents• Nutrition Info: 121 calories, 3.5 grams fiber, 14% DV

Potassium, 20% DV Vitamin C

3. Baby Carrots (in bags)• A 16 ounce bag costs about $1 and contains about 8

servings• Nutrition Info (per serving): 27 calories, 2 grams of

fiber, 200% DV Vitamin A, 7% DV Vitamin C

Healthy Foods For Less

4. Yogurt• 1 container (6-8 ounces) costs about 60 cents• Nutrition Info: 130 calories, 13 grams protein, 45% DV

Calcium, plus acidophilus

5. Oranges• 1 large orange is about 40 cents• Nutrition Info: 106 calories, 5.5 grams fiber, 10% DV

Vitamin A, 200% DV Vitamin C, 17% DV Folate, 9% DV Calcium, 12% Potassium

6. Pears• 1 large pear is about 45 cents• Nutrition Info: 133 calories, 7 grams of Fiber, 16% DV

Vitamin C, 8% Potassium

Healthy Foods For Less

7. Whole-Wheat Sliced Bread• 1 loaf costs about $1.99 (if you can not get it free from

food pantry)• Nutrition Info: 180 calories, 8 grams protein, 6 grams of

Fiber

8. Nutrition Bars- Depending on what is on sale (Power Bars, Cliff Bars, Eating Right Bars from Safeway)• 1 Eating Right Caramel Crème Crisp 100 Calorie Bar costs

about 95 cents• Nutrition Info: 100 calories, 5 grams of Fiber, 16% DV

Vitamin C, 8% Protein 6 grams, 15% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, Calcium 4%, Iron 10%, 15% DV Vitamin E, 15% DV Vitamin B6, 15% DV Vitamin B12, 15%DV Pantothenic Acid, Chromium 6% DV, Copper 8% DV, Manganese 6% DV, Zinc 6% DV,

Better Options When Eating Out

McDonaldsBest breakfast option is:

English Muffin (160 kcals., 3 g. fat)Egg McMuffin (300 kcals., Calcium, Vitamin A,

and Protein)Fruit N Yogurt Parfait (160 kcals, 2 g. fat) +

Whole Grains from granola topping, calcium from yogurt, and Vitamins from Fruit

SnackFruit and Walnut Salad (210 kcals, 8 g. fat) +

Calcium, Protein, Fiber, VitaminsOatmeal cookie (150 kcals, 6 grams fat)

Salad

Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken

Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken

Salad

Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken 320 calories 9 grams of fat 3 grams saturated

fat

Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken 430 calories 20 grams of fat 4 grams saturated

fat

Hamburgers

Hamburger Big Mac

Hamburgers

Hamburger 250 calories 9 grams of fat 3.5 grams saturated

fat 0.5 grams trans fat 25 mg cholesterol 520 mg sodium

Big Mac 540 calories 29 grams of fat 10 grams saturated

fat 1.5 grams trans fats 75 mg cholesterol 1040 mg sodium

Taco Bell

“Fresco Style”, takes away cheese and sauce and adds tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Reduces calories and fat.Ex: Grilled Steak Soft Taco prepared

Fresco Style has 160 calories & 4.5 grams of fat Compared to 270 calories & 16 grams of fat when prepared normally

Choose a soft taco instead of a burritoAny burrito has a minimum of 340

calories while soft tacos range from 200 to 270 calories

Taco Bell

Go with a Gordita instead of a Grilled Stuft itemThe Gorditas contain from 270 to 340

calories and 11 to 19 grams of fat, while the Grilled Stuft items contain anywhere from 630 to 680 calories and 25 to 33 grams of fat.

Skip the Taco Salad items. Although salad always sounds like a healthy option, Taco Bell's choices are unkind to the waistline. For example, the Fiesta Taco Salad contains 840 calories and 45 grams of fat

Food Available in Your Community

Utilize your local food pantries for groceries

Go to places that offer mealsFeeding the Homeless, 1425 S. Springer

Rd., Mountain View 94040. Sunday brunch from 8:00-10:00 a.m.

St. Joseph Catholic Church, 582 Hope St., Mountain View 94041. 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch bags.

CSA