KTK-Nutrition

So many parents are not giving kids real cow’s milk at meals.   And many adults have forgotten that their bodies need milk too, at least 2 glasses of cow’s milk or dairy servings a day.   What about chocolate milk?   Most people know chocolate milk has added sugar, but are there any health benefits to drinking chocolate milk?   What about the chocolate milk at Fast Food restaurants?   I had a student who wouldn’t drink chocolate milk from Fast Food restaurants as he thought this milk was high in fat.   Is it? What are some health benefits of chocolate milk ?   Nutrition – yes, chocolate milk made from cow’s milk has some added sugar but it also is a good source of nutrients. Protein – each cup of chocolate milk provides 7 grams of protein.   There is also a chocolate milk by Slate that provides about 14 grams of protein per cup.   And milk provides a high-quality protein that provides casein and whey. Minerals – real chocolate milk...

How many times do you hear people say, “I am watching my carbs.”   Have you ever heard someone say, “I am watching the fat in my diet”?   Probably not.   So much focus on carbs but so little focus on fat in one’s diet.   Since February is heart health month, let’s look at what fats you should be “watching” in your diet.   We need fat in our diets but we also should cut back on saturated fats in our diets.   The Dietary Guidelines offer specific recommendations about saturated fat: Limit calories from saturated fat by consuming an eating pattern low in saturated fats.   Specifically, by consuming less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats.   Why the focus on lowering our saturated fat intake? The Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association recommend lowering our saturated fat intake because: The recommendation to limit intake of calories from saturated fats to less than 10 percent per day is a target based...

Almost everyone is interested in healthy habits but then seem confused by nutrition myths as to what is healthy.   So many people are “watching their carbs” or avoiding starches, avoiding bread.   But none of these are really healthy habits.   Adopting good, healthy eating habits and making even small changes in daily habits can result in good things for your health.   The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition has Eight Healthy Eating Goals .    We will review 4 this week and 4 goals next week.   They recommend making small changes each week towards a healthier diet and a healthier you. Goal 1:    Make half your plate fruits and vegetables :     Eating more fruits and vegetables is so very important to good health.   The easiest way to do this is 5 A Day – aiming for eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day.   Have a serving of fruit at breakfast, a fruit and vegetable serving at lunch and then 2 veg...