Thursday, December 8, 2011

Top ten unhealthy foods

1.  Gravy( almost all fat)
2.  Cheesecake (very high in calories, fat, and sugar)
3.  Pop (all sugar and chemicals)
4. Donuts (sugar and fat)
5.  Bacon, bologna, pepperoni, salami(high fat meats)
6.  Fried cheese, fried onion rings, french fries
7.  Snack cakes(Twinkies, HoHos), frosting
8.  Salad dressing, mayonaisse, butter
9.  Anything in a cream sauce
10.  Candy

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

No more food pyramid

The USDA has eliminated the food pyramid.  They have replaced it with "Fill my Plate".

This new design allows children(and adults!) to see clearly that half of their plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables.  The other half should be lean proteins and whole grains.  Most children and adults do not eat enough vegetables(vitamins and fiber), and few eat lean proteins (turkey and chicken no skin, seafood, and beans- white, black, brown, and red).  Half of the grains that we eat should be whole grains which also provides a lot of fiber. Most Americans eat almost no whole grains.  Here is what we have been talking about in our Nutrition lessons and practicing in our activities and games:
_ Most foods are a combination of healthy and fats/sugars such as chicken nuggets, ice cream, and peanut butter and jelly
-We need some fat in our diet, but most people eat way too much fat
-If you do not eat meat, you need to get protein from Beans, tofu, lentils, nuts, and seeds

*Drink skim milk instead of whole milk   *Eat vegetables like carrots at lunch *Eat more fruit, less candy  *Drink milk instead of pop   *Eat lower sugar cereals *Eat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream   *Eat lower fat snacks like pretzels or goldfish  * Drink 100% juice instead of juice drinks    *Order smaller sizes of high fat/sugar items *Order grilled, steamed or baked instead of fried  * Take off the skin or breading if fried

Sources of fat:
-Any meat except skinless grilled or baked turkey, chicken, or seafood with no
  breading or butter
-Any nuts or eggs-come from an animal
Any dairy except skim milk or fat free dairy products
Skin on meat (on chicken and turkey)
Anything fried, butter, mayo, or salad dressing(unless fat free or low fat )
Any kind of cream (whipped cream, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese)
Baked goods(cakes, pies, cookies, brownies)- they are made with oil, butter and eggs
Chips and crackers ( they are fried and/or made with oil)
** Healthy oils can be found in salmon, fish(not fried), almonds, walnuts, olive oil,
         and dark chocolate

Sources of sugar:
Sugar, brown sugar, syrup, honey, corn syrup
Fruit drinks, cocktails, or blends, Sunny Delight, Hi C, kool aid, soda, Gatorade- ( Check the label.  If it does not say 100% juice, mark it as a sugar.  If it has 50% or more juice, you can mark  both.)
Candy, frosting , icing, glaze
Baked goods(cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, donuts, Danish, etc.
Anything that is not fruit, but tastes sweet

Empty calories: foods/drinks with no nutritional value.  Pop, gum, hard candy, jello, cotton candy, Gatorade, koolaid, syrup, sprinkles, honey, salad dressing, oil, mayo
*Remember- this is not just junk food, it’s food with NO nutritional value that doesn’t really fit into any of the food groups.  For example, a donut is not an empty calorie even though it is high in sugar and fat.  It is still made from some flour and eggs, so it has some nutritional value  Hard candy or jelly beans, however, are just sugar.

*Remember that product information can be deceptive (they are not honest).  For example, you would assume that a product labeled 90% lean ground beef would only have 10% fat.  That is not true.  The 10 % comes from the amount of fat that you can have in an entire day.  The real fat content is more than 30%!  You need to be a smart reader and eater to stay healthy.                                                                                    
  






Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tumbling unit

We have started a Tumbling unit in K-5 classes.  We are very lucky at May Watts to have some great new eqipment that most school do not have.  Last year the PE department won a grant for new mats and a new balance beam.  We also had a past grant for a vault and swing bar.  Our students are learning new skills and beginning to challenge themselves in a variety of ways in the gym.  I have explained to our younger students that there are many things in life(especially in PE) that can be a little scary at first.  I encourage them to try new things and let them know that I will be there to keep them safe.  The students are also learning how to self-evaluate their skills and are working with partners and small groups to learn to give constructive feedback.  I suggest that students always say at least one positive thing to their partner, but then also let them know one thing that they could do to improve that skill.  In K-2, they are learning to choose their best skills in each category using 4 square writing skills from the classroom.  In 3rd-5th grade, they are designing their own routines using flow.  They integrate the 4 suare writing skills learned in the classroom to design routines that show their best skills and creativity while utilizing best flow. 

Top ten unhealthy foods

Anything fried
Cheesecake
Bacon/bologna/hot dogs
Soda
Donuts/cinnamon rolls
Anything with the word cream in it
Candy
High fuctose corn syrup products
Alfredo, cheese sauce, butter sauce
Mayonaisse

Top ten healthy foods

There are many healthy foods. These are the top ten healthy according to leading nutrition experts:
Skim milk
Greek yogurt
Almonds
Whole grain pasta and bread
Spinach
Olive oil
Avocados
Berries- blackberries, blueberries, raspberries
Salmon
Beans- black, brown, white