1. HEALTH
Y
EATING Sure….you’ve heard it
all before:
"You need to eat your
breakfast," "that's
enough soda," “stop
with the junk food and
eat some real food."

2. Healthy eating is a great way to:
Have energy for the whole day
Get the vitamins & minerals you need to avoid illness
Stay strong for sports or other activities
Reach your maximum height (if you are still growing)
Keep a healthy weight so you don’t have to ‘diet’
Prevent unhealthy eating habits, like skipping meals
and feeling overly hungry at the next meal

3. What is “healthy eating?”
o Don’t skip breakfast!! 20% of
teens skip breakfast, but
studies show that those that do
tend to make poor food choices
later in the day, and end up
HEAVIER then those who eat
breakfast
o A good breakfast includes a
protein and a carbohydrate,
plus, ideally, a fruit or vegetable

4. What is “healthy eating?”
o Try for regular meals (usually 3 meals per day…
morning, afternoon, and evening) and healthy
snacks (when you are hungry or need extra
energy)
o Eating foods from all of the food groups (grains,
fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy proteins, and
healthy fats) every day

5. What is “healthy eating?”
o Balancing foods with good nutrition with
moderate amounts of other foods, such as sweets
or fast foods. No foods are ‘forbidden’….balance
is the key….
 Eating when hungry and stopping when full

6. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
 First look at the serving size….all of the nutrition information on
the label is based on that amount. And it may surprise you! A full
bowl of cereal may be WAY more than the common serving size
of a half cup!
 Calories are a measure of the energy food provides. The usual
value on a nutrition label is 2000 per day, but that may not be right
for you. Here is a link that will tell you how many calories you
need based on your age, activity, height and weight:
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/createprofile.aspx

7. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
 The percent daily value information can be complicated. But a
quick glance can tell you if a food is high or low in a particular
nutrient.
• If a food has a daily value of 5% or less of a nutrient, it is
considered to be low in that nutrient
• If the percent daily value is between 10% and 19%, it is
considered to be high in that nutrient
• If the food has 20% or more of the daily value, it is considered to
be VERY HIGH in that nutrient.

8. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
 “Empty calories’ are found in foods that are mostly all sugar or all
fat, which means they don’t have nutritional value!
 Fats are very ‘calorie-dense’ which means a little goes a long way.
You DO need fats in your diet, but they should be mostly fats
found in vegetables, (unsaturated) as opposed to fats found in
animals (saturated)

9. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
 Sodium is salt. It is found naturally in many foods, and is added
to processed foods to add flavor. You do need salt in your diet,
but most of us get far too much. So look at the percent daily value
for sodium on the label
 Total Carbohydrates is the amount covers all carbohydrates,
including fiber and sugar. The best sources of carbohydrates are
fruits and vegetables, along with whole-grain foods like cereals,
breads, pasta, and brown rice. Most of your daily calorie intake
should come from carbohydrates.

10. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
Which of these labels indicate a more nutritious snack?

11. FOOD LABELS (OR ‘WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”
 Sugars are listed separately under Total Carbohydrates. Sugars
are what we referred to before as ‘empty calories’, as they do not
offer any other nutritional value.
 Checking sugar quantities on labels can be really eye opening.
Often there's way more than you'd expect. For example,
sometimes manufacturers cut back on fat but add sugar to keep a
food tasting good. Some low-fat foods have nearly as many
calories as their regular versions

12. BOTTOM LINE FOR HEALTHY EATING
 Your goal in the beginning should be to eat a good breakfast and at least
one other healthy meal every day. Each meal should contain a good source
of protein, a fresh vegetables or fruit, and whole grains (e.g. brown
rice, barley, millet, whole wheat, oats).
 Try to eat foods that don't come prepackaged or prepared. Read the
nutrition labels on the packaged foods you do eat so you can learn more
about the food's sodium and fat content, as well as the many ingredients
that are contained in the packaged foods. If you can't pronounce the
ingredients on the label, chances are the food is not the greatest choice