Spring 2006
Vol. 8, No. 2
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Spring 2006 |
Dietary
guidelines: Test your knowledge
Courtney Tiemann
Dietetics Intern
University of Missouri-Columbia
Dietetics Major
Cynthia Fauser, MS, RD, LD
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
FauserC@missouri.edu
It
has been about one year since the release of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and
MyPyramid by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the U. S. Department of
Health and Human Services. Updated jointly every five years, these
recommendations are meant to serve as a general guide to promote health and
reduce risk for major chronic diseases.
Unfortunately, some of the recommendations are not given in
forms that are easy to identify or put to use. Take the following quiz to gauge
your knowledge and clear up some common misconceptions.
1. The new MyPyramid graphic shows calorie and serving recommendations based on
2000 calories a day.
Answer: False. Because the new recommendations
are personalized, no recommendations appear on the graphic. People need
different amounts of calories as they
grow and age: older adults, children, and sedentary women
(1600 calories per day); moderately active women, teenage girls, and sedentary
men (2000
calories per day); and active men, teenage boys, and very
active women (2600 calories per day).
To estimate your individual needs,
visit http://www.mypyramid.gov and plug in your gender, age, and physical
activity level. Keep in mind this is only an estimate. It
does not take into account your size or if you are trying to
lose weight.
2.
Most
days of the week, adults should be physically active for at least __ minutes per
day, and children and teenagers should be physically active for __
minutes per day.
A. 20, 45 C. 30, 60
B. 30, 30 D. 60, 60
Answer: C. 30, 60.
Adults should be physically active on most days for at least 30 minutes per day,
but between 60 and 90 minutes a day of physical activity may be
required to prevent weight gain and sustain weight loss,
respectively. Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes
most days, if not every day.
Physical activity does not have to be going to the gym or
playing on a sports team. Physical activity just means you have purposeful
movement such as: taking a brisk
walk during coffee breaks, yard work, weight training,
walking, hiking, swimming, or playing recreational games. The most important
thing is that you enjoy the activity.
3. Which of the following are whole grains?
A. Popcorn
B. Multi-grain
C. Bran
D. Whole oat
E. 100% wheat
F. Brown rice
Answers: A. Popcorn, D.
Whole oat, F. Brown rice.
MyPyramid states half of daily grains should be whole,
but sometimes it is difficult to recognize whole grains. Here are a few tips.
First, color is not an indication of
a whole grain. Bread can be brown due to molasses or other ingredients. Instead,
check the ingredients list on the food label. If the
food is whole grain, the type of whole grain will be listed
first.
Second, fiber is another good
indication of a whole grain. The percent Daily Value (%DV) listed on the
Nutrition Facts label indicates the nutritional composition of a food, but remember these percentages are based on a
2000-calorie diet. In the case of whole grains, the higher the percent Daily
Value is for fiber the better.
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Editor: Roxanne T. Miller MillerRT@missouri.edu |
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