Food Nutrition

Food Nutrition As a nurse, one of your main personal focuses should be to maintain a healthy diet that will give you long-lasting energy throughout the day. Some foods may shock you to learn the calorie content. Many people go to a fast food establishment, and think a salad is a healthy choice, and it can be, but not always. Many fast food restaurants have salad bars, but they are more like a party bar. Seriously, when is a salad no longer a salad? When you have a salad, that’s great; when you start adding to a salad, not so great.

Common additives on a salad bar include: •

Bacon

•

Cheese

•

Croutons

•

Pasta

•

Crackers

Of course moderation is always key, but a huge scoop of each of the above items will add enough calories that just ruined your attempt at a healthy lunch. Dressings are the main culprit with salads. Many dressings add enough fat and calories, that a hamburger would have been far less in calories and fat. Always ask for dressing on the side, so you can use it sparingly. It's not difficult to eat healthy, it just involves some education, which can be entertaining, it's nice to learn something new.

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Calories in Common Foods

Food Apple Banana Mango Orange Pear Peach Pineapple Strawberry Watermelon

Size 1 Small (4 oz.)

Each 1 (8 oz.)

1 (4 oz.)

1 (5 oz.)

1 (6 oz.)

1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup

Calaries 80 2 101 71 100 38 80 53 45

Asparagus Bean Curd Broccoli Carrots Cucumber Eggplant Lettuce Tomato Beef, Regular, Cooked Chicken, Cooked Egg Fish, Catfish, Cooked Pork, Cooked Shrimp, Cooked Bread, Regular Butter Caesar Salad Cheeseburger Chocolate Corn Hamburger Pizza Potato (Uncooked) Rice, Cooked Sandwich Beer, Regular Coca – Cola Classic Diet Coke Milk, Low-fat (1 %) Milk, Low-fat (2 %) Milk, Whole Orange Juice / Apple Cider Yogurt, Low-fat Yogurt, Non-fat

1 Cup, Boiled 4 oz.

1 Cup 1 Cup Each 1 Cup, Boiled 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Slice (2 oz.)

1 Slice (2 oz.)

Large 2 oz.

1 Slice (2 oz.)

2 oz.

1 Slice (1 oz.)

1 Tablespoon 1 Serving (3 Cups) 1 (McDonald Medium) 1 oz.

1 Cup, Cooked 1 (McDonald Medium) 1 Slice 1 (6 oz.)

1 Cup 1(6” Subway) 1 Can or Bottle 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 Cup

36 81 40 45 30 38 7 29 120 95 79 80 130 70 75 102 360 360 150 140 280 180 120 225 310 150 97 3 104 121 150 115 200 150

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Smarter Choices Hamburger- when eating at a fast food or other restaurant, hamburgers are often a popular choice. A better choice would be grilled chicken. Ask if they serve whole wheat buns, and if not, remove one piece of the bun, saving a couple hundred calories. Also, always order chicken without mayonnaise. Mustard and salsa make great toppings for grilled chicken.

Fries- everyone loves potatoes, but fries can be greasy, and the serving sizes are very large in most restaurants. Opt for a baked potato, but skip the butter and sour cream. Use salsa for a topping. It's low in calories and has nutritional value.

For fries at home try oven baked fries- peel and slice potatoes into the shape of chunky fries. In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder. Coat washed potatoes with all ingredients and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees about 30 minutes or until tender. Many people actually prefer the taste over fried potatoes.

Fried Chicken- oven fried chicken is a great alternative. Wash chicken pieces, preferably skinless, and dip in a mixture of crushed bread crumbs.

Bake on a sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil for approximately 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Grilled chicken that has been marinated can also make a great choice.

Snacks Make up dishes of healthy snacks so they are easily accessible. Raw vegetables are a great choice. For dipping, salsa is much better than a dressing type sauce. Yogurt makes a good healthy snack, try adding Chia seeds to help fill you up, they are known for their ability to control appetites.

Chips have no nutritional value. Opt for pretzels, there is less fat and calories. The fresh fruit in season always makes good sense, however moderation is the key, there are natural sugars in fruits. Cereal can make a good snack provided it is not a cereal that has a high sugar content. For high protein snacks, cut chunks of grilled chicken and put in small bags,

ready to eat anytime, this is a good choice, and protein fills you up for hours.

Making small changes can make a big difference in nutrition. Just replacing butter or mayonnaise with salsa or mustard saves calories and fat, making the foods you eat much healthier. Skipping sodas and sugary drinks can save a lot of calories. Water is always the best choice, and adding a little fruit to the water can make a fruity, tasty drink. Crushed ice with water and fruit tricks the mind into thinking you are drinking one of those high calorie frozen drinks, however without all the calories. Sensible choices are key, and reading nutrition labels will educate you on the nutritional value and calorie counts in foods. Healthy food choices make healthy bodies.

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