December 21, 2007

Purdue provides new tools to execute New Year diet resolutions

"We tell students in our dining courts to eat whatever they like, but in moderation," said Kathleen Manwaring, assistant director of Dining Services. "Treats such as ice cream and french fries can be part of a well-rounded diet that is anchored by healthier choices such as lean meat and a rainbow of fruits and vegetables."

Recent research by Brown University showed that Purdue freshmen, Dining Services' largest customer base, gained only half of the fabled "Freshman 15" pounds that several generations of first-year college students too typically have packed on.

Purdue University Residences provides its students with an online service that helps dining-court customers monitor the nutritional content of what they eat. Each self-serve station in the dining courts has been labeled with photographs of everyday items to further help diners identify a proper serving size. For example, a bar of soap is the size of an order of fries, a tennis ball is the size of a half-cup serving of fresh fruit, and a baseball equals a cup of Cheerios.

Manwaring said those depictions can help people pursue the recommended strategy of eating whatever they like, but in moderation. She also has created an educational quiz, included below, to help create awareness of proper portion control. 

Portion perception

How do you determine what goes on your plate in relationship to how much you should eat?  Questions are based on servings for someone eating 2,000 calories per day.   

1.  A one-cup serving of fruit is equivalent to:

a. 1 small apple (2 1/2-inch diameter)

b. 8 large strawberries

c. 1/2-cup dried fruit

d. all of the above

2.  A minimum of how many cups of fruit should be eaten every day?

            a. 1 cup

            b. 1 1/2 cups

            c. 2 cups

            d. 3 cups

3.  Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, the recommended amount from the meat and bean food group is:

            a. 4 ounces

            b. 5 1/2 ounces

            c. 7 ounces

            d. 8 1/2 ounces

4.  A small cooked chicken breast is 3 ounces. That's equivalent in size to:

            a.  an iPod Shuffle

            b. a box of Tic Tacs

            c. deck of cards

            d. a fist

5.  You need a minimum of 3 cups from the milk food group. You would meet this requirement by consuming which of the following?

            a. 1 cup milk, 1 cup ice cream, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 ounce sliced Swiss cheese

            b. 1 cup milk, 8 ounces yogurt, 1.5 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

            c. 1 cup milk, 1 slice processed cheese, 1 cup pudding made with milk

6.  A days' worth of grains should equal 6 ounces with at least half from whole grains.  You would meet the grain food group requirement by eating:

            a. 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1-cup cooked pasta, 1/2-cup wild rice, 1 whole wheat flour                   tortilla

            b. 3 cups popped popcorn, 1 large whole-wheat bagel

            c. 1-cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes, 1 mini bagel, 1 cup brown rice

7.  Which statement is a basic nutrition tip?

            a. Eat a variety of foods

            b. Eat the colors of the rainbow in fruits and vegetables

            c. Watch your portion sizes

            d. Eat the things you like but in smaller portions.  Self-denial may cause cravings and                          binge eating

            e. all of the above

Answers: 1-d, 2-c, 3-b, 4-c, 5-b, 6-a, 7-e

Information for this quiz was compiled from www.mypyramid.gov

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources: Kathleen Manwaring, (765) 494-1000, kmanwaring@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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