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Shopping Smart: Eat For Your Health

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

Shoppers struggling to lose weight or eat healthier often have a problem with portion control.

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2008

Most folks know the adage about never going to the supermarket hungry.

But that's not the only trick you can use to make sure your cart is filled with nutritious foods or healthful weight-loss-friendly selections.

It doesn't matter whether you're hoping to shed weight or prevent chronic diseases: Consuming more plant-based foods is the single best way to improve your situation, says Barbara Roberts, a Hillsborough County Health Department nutritionist who leads local supermarket tours for harried shoppers as part of the county's Healthy Lifestyles program.

An estimated 11 percent of U.S. adults eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, according to research published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The consumption rates remained steady from 1988 to 2002, despite increasing scientific evidence that plant-based foods were associated with a decreased risk of certain diseases, including cardiovascular illnesses, cancer and diabetes.

Roberts, a working mom who knows how hard it is to find time to prepare meals, says if all you can do is add vegetables to SpaghettiOs or serve a bowl of precut fruit, that's an improvement.

The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests aiming for meals made up of two-thirds (or more) vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans and one-third (or less) animal protein. Most adults should consume up to three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruits every day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

Changing your mindset can start at the grocery store, where processed foods and meats vie for attention, says New Jersey physician and nutritionist Joel Fuhrman, who will be returning to Clearwater's Harbor View Center on Nov. 13 for a lecture. He says 55 percent of American diets today are made up of processed, prepackaged foods.

"Eating for health does not mean you are not eating for pleasure," says Fuhrman, the author of a two-volume series focused on nutrient-rich diets called "Eat For Health" ($46.99, Gift of Health Press).

Nutritionists today cite as essential 14 vitamins and 15 minerals, most of which can be easily found in fruits and vegetables. Fuhrman says research is discovering how fruits and vegetables also are packed with micronutrients - zero-calorie, tissue-building vitamins and minerals.

Despite the research focus on produce, it doesn't eliminate the need for meat, dairy, nuts and grains - you just need to adjust how much you buy.

Here are some suggestions on how to tweak buying habits for optimal wellness.

Nutrition On The Mind

•Look for dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, romaine lettuce, spinach and kale, or vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables, such as peppers, carrots and sweet potatoes.

•Fruits and vegetables will lose nutritional value as they soften or lose color. To avoid that, keep them grouped with similar items at home. Berries and bananas, for example, ripen quickly. Apples and carrots are just the opposite.

•Fresh versus frozen: The bad rap against frozen food is undeserved, as they're often picked and packed at the peak of freshness and nutritional value, Fuhrman says.

•There's no need to invest in more costly natural and organic foods if you don't want them. Look for fruits and vegetables on sale or, better yet, make a trip to a local produce stand.

•For the best grains possible, the word "whole" should be first on the ingredient list for breads, cereals and other grain products. "If the first word on the label is 'enriched,' then it's right up there with Fruit Loops," Roberts says.

•Sodium: Packaged foods are usually full of excess salt, but so are pickles, canned meats, gravies, marinades and other sauces. Try to keep sodium intake lower than 2,000 mg a day.

Clues For Cutting Weight

•If you can't use cooking spray or nonstick cooking pans, use oil very sparingly. Focus on the healthier olive oil option and avoid vegetable and corn oils, Roberts says.

•Milk products should be 1 percent or less fat, Roberts says. Cheese also should be enjoyed sparingly, with an eye on the amount of saturated fat.

•Animal products are a major source of fat and are low on nutrients, Fuhrman says. His "Eat for Life" diet recommends that people consume less than 10 percent of their daily calories on animal products. Avoid processed meats, if at all possible, and think lean instead, Roberts says.

•Consuming more fruits and vegetables will fill you more and lead to fewer cravings, Fuhrman says. Junk food works to the contrary.

•Read nutrition labels and look for ingredients you know or can pronounce. Lower-calorie foods may include less-nutritious ingredients, so be prepared to choose your personal priorities, Roberts says.

•But also be skeptical of nutrition labels. "I don't buy many foods in a box or a bag," Fuhrman says. "Things in a box or with a label are not as healthy."

Additional resources

Produce for Better Health Foundation: www.pbhfoundation.org/

Fruit and Veggies recipe and shopping support: www.fruitandveggiesmorematters.org

American Institute for Cancer Research: www.aicr.org

Tips For Getting Portions 'Just Right'

Shoppers struggling to lose weight or eat healthier often have a problem with portion control, says Barbara Roberts, a nutritionist with the Hillsborough County Healthy Department. From fruits and veggies to packaged foods, supersized portions are everywhere. Americans tend to ignore the nutritional information on the package and instead let their eyes decide how much is "just right." Don't believe us? Look at these examples:

Fruit: Massive red delicious apples are tantalizing on the produce shelf, but they're often larger than a tennis ball - the size of one portion of fruit. Bagged fruit tends to run more proportionate.

Potatoes: A baked potato is a common side dish, but too often gargantuan spuds are added to a plate. Know what a computer mouse looks like? That's more in tune with the appropriate-sized potato.

Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's is world famous for its pints of Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey. But despite what you might think, that pint consists of four - yes four - half-cup servings. The "Shorties" containers now available at local supermarkets are a legitimate single serving.

Here are some other simple portion equations:

One serving of meat or poultry = a deck of cards

One serving of fruit = a tennis ball

One serving of raw leafy vegetables = a baseball

One serving of chopped vegetables = half a baseball

One serving of dried fruit = a golf ball

One serving of nuts = a handful

One serving of cheese = four playing dice

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