MyPlate at KU

 Consider these nutritional tips to make healthier plate choices and choose nutrient dense foods daily!

• Assemble your plate with 1/2 fruits/vegetables, 1/4 grains/starch, 1/4 protein, and 1 dairy choice.
• 5 1/2 oz. lean meats or protein substitutes (soy, quinoa, nuts, beans, seeds)
• 3 servings (8 oz.) dairy foods, beverages or equivalent
• 6-11 1 oz. servings whole grains - 1/2 as whole grains
• 2 cups fruit
• 2 1/2 cups vegetables

These selections will maximize your intake of fiber, potassium and other vitamins & minerals and will decrease intake of added sugars, sodium and excessive fat. - Source: ChooseMyPlate.gov

Visit KU Dining Services NETNUTRITION™ at kudining.com/wellness.

Use this tool as a great resource for a quick nutritional analysis or to review the ingredient label for many of our menu items!

Whole Grains for your Whole Life!

 

Whole grains = the bran + endosperm + germ + original nutrients

Health benefits:

• Necessary for brain development & healthy functions ( great carbohydrate source)
• Lowers cholesterol, reduces heart disease risk
• Lowers depression, risks for respiratory disease, diabetes, breast/prostate cancers
• High fiber content increases longevity

Whole Grains you may or may not be aware of…

• Amaranth Barley
• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Millet
• Oats Quinoa
• Rice (brown, red, black)
• Rye
• Sorghum (or milo) Teff
• Triticale
• Wheat
• Wild rice

• Current Dietary Guidelines emphasize consuming ½ your grains as whole grains.
• Consume at least 3 servings whole-grain bread, cereals daily.
• Read package label ingredients – whole grains should be listed first and look for a Whole Grain Stamp.

KU Dining Services provides many nutrition & wellness campaigns throughout the year!!

This one will focus on the importance of eating whole grain foods.
Stop by any residential dining center to sample recipes and learn more about the health benefits.

Visit with Kelsey Fortin, Watkin’s Health Center Health Educator:

• Tuesday, September 22 – North College Café in GSP Hall from 11:30am-1pm
• Wednesday, September 23 – Ekdahl Dining Center (Mrs. E’s) from 5-7pm
• Thursday, September 24 – Oliver Dining Center from 11:30am-1pm

 

Visit with KU Dining Services Registered Dietitians: Cheryl Wiley or Christine Ebert:

• Tuesday, November 3 – Ekdahl Dining Center (Mrs. E’s) from 11am-1:30pm
• Wednesday, November 4 – North College Café from 11 am-1pm
• Thursday, November 5 – Oliver Dining from 5-7pm

For more information on whole grains, visit:
www.wholegrainscouncil.org
www.wheatfoods.org

Smart Salad Selection Tips

Opting for the salad bar can be a great meal choice. It’s a great way to access a quick lunch with lots of nutritional punch, as long as you put a bit of care into navigating the options. Here are some quick tips that will help you make the best selections:

For a salad bar meal, choose foods with:

• adequate lean protein, carbohydrates, vitamins/minerals
• less sodium, sugar, total/saturated fats

The best salad bar choices:

• dark, leafy greens
• plain vegetables
• fresh fruit
• whole grains
• low-fat dairy &/or lean meat, legumes, soy, nuts, seeds

Consume these ingredients sparingly:

• cheeses, egg yolks
• marinated vegetables
• dressings, dips, condiments
• crunchy toppings

A salad meal should follow the ChooseMyPlate guidelines recommending consuming ½ your plate in fruits/vegetables, ¼ whole grains, ¼ protein. You can find a wide variety of top salad bar choices at any KU Dining location! Aim to consume the healthiest ingredients in a salad!

Sugar – Sweet or Not so Sweet?

Sugar can be a natural component in food choices or an added ingredient improving the overall food product or recipe flavor, texture, and palatability. Sugar adds calories but not necessarily vitamins/ minerals compared to other carbohydrate foods. Sugar is categorized as a “simple” more refined carbohydrate. It is broken down into glucose faster and then absorbed quicker into the body.
If consuming 2,000 calories per day, one’s sugar intake would equate to about 20 teaspoons. Recommendations for added sugar consumption are:

• Women-no more than100 calories (6 tsp.) daily
• Men-no more than 150 calories (9 tsp.) daily

To attain those recent recommendations, modify your food and beverage choices by:

• reading labels for sugar, syrup, and carbohydrates ending in “ose” ingredients
• reducing those extra condiments, toppings, and candies that quickly increase sugar, calorie totals
• researching websites that explain sugar reduction and/or modifying using natural or artificial sweeteners in home recipes
• increasing intake of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables with natural vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients
• increasing complex whole-grain carbohydrate foods, snack foods rich in fiber
• reducing sweetened beverages except those that are calcium & vitamin-D rich
• drinking more water with zero calories, no added sugars

An added benefit to controlling your intake of “simple” carbohydrates (sugars) would be maintaining a normal weight as recommended by physicians and other health professionals and keeping active! Sources:
American Heart Association www.heart.org
www.FoodInsight.org