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Sedgwick County, Kansas Health Department
 

Nutrition

A balanced diet is important for everyone. Eating right and staying healthy affects your entire life. Poor eating habits are directly linked to the burden of chronic disease. For a quick healthy recipe idea or healthy tip, click here. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also provides helpful nutrition information on their Web page. 

 

Try this Healthy Recipe!

Angel Hair Pasta with Scallops in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped, diced tomatoes (if using canned, use unsalted)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound bay scallops
1 pound angel hair pasta, (cappellini)

Cooking Directions:
1. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the mustard seeds and shake the pan to keep
them from burning. Once they begin to pop (like popcorn), lower the heat and add the olive oil and
onions.
2. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they turn golden, then add the garlic and cook until the
garlic begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, stock, and if desired, the Dijon mustard. Simmer for
about 5 minutes for the flavors to blend.
3. Rinse the scallops and remove the thick, tough muscle on the side of the scallops. Pat the
scallops dry with a paper towel.
4. Add the scallops to the tomato sauce and turn up the heat to medium. Cook the scallops in the
sauce for about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente,
about 2 minutes. Drain.
6. Transfer the pasta to a warm bowl and serve with the sauce.
 

Number of Servings: 8


Nutrition Facts per Serving
Calories: 287

Carbohydrate: 47 g
Fat: 3 g

Fiber:   3 g
Protein: 18 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 211 mg
Source:
www.foodfit.com

 

How to Measure Your Meal

There’s a difference between portion sizes and serving sizes. Portions are the amount you choose to eat, whereas servings are the amounts recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Recommended daily servings and sizes follow:

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese - two to three servings

  • One cup of milk or yogurt
  • One and a half ounces of natural cheese
  • Two ounces of processed cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts - two to three servings

  • Two to three ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
  • 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or two tablespoons of peanut butter count as one ounce of lean meat

 

Vegetable - three to five servings

  • One cup of raw leafy vegetables
  • 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
  • 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruit - two to five servings

  • One medium apple, banana, orange or a 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
  • 3/4 cup of fruit juice

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta - four to 10 servings

  • One slice of bread
  • One ounce of ready-to-eat-cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta

 

What Do Serving Sizes Look Like

Portion Sizes

three ounces of meat = the size of a palm

Portion Sizes

one medium piece of fruit or 15 grapes = tennis ball

Portion Sizes

one ounce of cheese (one and a half to two ounces is a serving) = a thumb

Portion Sizes

one cup raw, leafy green vegetables = the size of a fist

Portion Sizes

one half cup cereal, cooked pasta, rice, cooked or raw or chopped vegetables or fruit = one half of a fist

Portion Sizes

One teaspoon of high-fat foods  = a thumb tip

Portion Sizes

one ounce of nuts = two handfuls

How to Read Nutrition Facts on a Food Label

Food labeling is required for most prepared foods such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, drinks, etc. Nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. These products are referred to as “conventional” foods.

The following guidance is intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet. The required nutrients were selected because they address today's health concerns. The order in which they must appear reflects the priority of current dietary recommendations.

The Nutrition Facts panel has two parts. The main or top section contains product specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information) that varies with each food product. The bottom part contains a footnote. This footnote is only on larger packages and provides general dietary information about important nutrients.

Check out the serving size first. The label facts are based on this amount. Note the serving size and how many servings per package and compare to how much you actually eat.

Calories are a measure of how much energy is provided from a serving of this food. The label also tells how many of the calories in one serving come from fat.

The nutrients listed first are the ones people generally eat in adequate amounts or even too much. Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or sodium may increase the risk of certain chronic diseases like heart disease, some cancers or high blood pressure.

People often don't get enough dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve health and reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions.

Note the asterisk (*) used after the heading "%Daily Value" on the upper section of the Nutrition Facts panel. It refers to the footnote in the lower section of the nutrition label, which states: "Percent Daily values are based on recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet." This statement must be on all food labels. The remainder of the lower section provides general dietary information about important nutrients and may not be included if the label is small.

Food Pyramid

A balanced diet is important for a healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of foods from each food group while limiting the amount of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars and salt is a great way to start eating healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture has released a new food pyramid that can be customized for your needs. Go to MyPyramid.gov to create a custom food pyramid that will give you an estimate of what and how much you need to eat. By clicking on "Inside the Pyramid" on the left side of the screen, you can learn more about each food group.

Helpful Hints

Below are a few helpful hints regarding changing unhealthy eating habits:

  • Be leery of fad dieting. Local registered dieticians may offer advice or provide seminars on fad diets.

  • Keep water handy as an alternative to sodas and sugary drinks. Add a touch of lemon to liven it up.

  • Watch out for portion sizes. Especially when eating out, steer clear of those "super size" and "value" meals.

  • Be sure and eat a variety of foods from the food pyramid.

  • If you have questions about the nutritional value of a certain food, go to this link to check it out.

  • Healthy food options

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Resource Links

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Claudia Blackburn,
Director

 

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Sedgwick County...working for you

Sedgwick County 
Health Department
1900 E. 9th Street,
Suite 270

Wichita, KS 67218
Tel: (316) 660-7300

Communicable Disease Reporting in
Sedgwick County

660-5555

 

 

 

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