Lynn Sonberg - The Complete Nutrition Counter-Revised

From artichokes to zucchini, apple pie to candied yams, this handy guide helps you target the foods that supply the nutrients that can lead to good health. It also allows you to discover which foods you may want to avoid, including foods high in bad fats (saturated and trans fats), cholesterol, calories, and sodium. The foods are listed in alphabetical order and include both basic and brand-name items. If you are interested in bagels, for example, turn to B in the alphabetical listing and you will find information on fresh and frozen bagels. Similarly, if you want to learn about the nutritional content of foods served at fast-food restaurants, turn to FAST FOOD in the alphabetical listing, where the latest data from many of your favorite establishments are listed individually. This convenient counter also makes it easy for you to compare similar foods.

If you want to know how one brand of chocolate cookie compares with others, just turn to C for COOKIES and you can see the nutritional values for various name brands of chocolate cookies. Convenience foods have become a very important part of todays society, so extensive information on frozen foods (including breakfasts, entres, dinners, and sandwiches) is provided. To access these food items, just turn to FROZEN DINNERS & ENTRES. Here you will find information you need to choose healthful and nutritious meals you would prepare from scratch yourself at home if you had more time. For each food item, the following information is provided: portion size, calories, protein (grams), total fat (grams), saturated fat (grams), trans fat (grams), cholesterol (milligrams), sodium (milligrams), calcium, iron, carbohydrates (grams), and fiber (grams). Calcium and iron are given as a percentage of U.S.

RDAs (Recommended Daily Allowances), established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. These values are considered to be appropriate to meet the needs of most healthy Americans. They do not apply, however, to children younger than two years or to pregnant or nursing women whose nutritional needs are above average. Nutritional information on baby food is given in the percentage of U.S. RDAs for infants. The bottom line is, if you want to maintain optimum health and vitality while warding off everyday ailments and serious illness, you should know more about the food you serve yourself and your family.

This nutrition counter is a convenient way for you to do just that. Why You Need This Book You know you should eat nutritious food and try to maintain a healthy weight so you can prevent illness and enjoy a sense of well-being and vitality, yet if you are like most Americans, you often fall short of those goals. Americans are heavier than theyve ever been: An estimated 129.6 million Americans, or 64 percent, are either overweight or obese. A large percentage of Americans are also living with or are at serious risk for life-threatening diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, and high blood pressureall diseases that are associated with diet. According to a study released in early 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 400,000 deaths in 2000 were associated with poor diet and lack of physical activity. All this information points to one simple truth: If you improve your diet, you can improve your chances of preventing serious illnesses and, if you already have a medical condition, you can enhance your quality of life.

Although much information about nutrition is available from a wide range of media sources, its not easy to find one comprehensive, convenient, easy-to-follow resource that provides the information you need to make healthy food choices. The Food and Drug Administration and the USDA have made nutrition labeling mandatory on processed foods, so you can read the labels on every item you buy at the supermarket when you shop. This is not always convenient, however; it takes time, sometimes the labels are difficult to read, and stopping to read labels in a crowded store may disrupt other customers as they shop. Labeling of fresh/raw fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood remains voluntary, and often is not done. The Complete Nutrition Counter makes label reading a snapbecause its all been done for you and information from those labels put into an easy-to-read alphabetical format. All the information is up-to-date on products available at this time.

Nutritional information on fresh items, for which there are no labels, is also provided. You can use this book in the comfort of your home and write a shopping list based on items you read about in the counter. Or, you can bring the book along on your shopping trips. Either way it can help you discover how nutritiousor not so nutritiousyour food choices are and help you make the shift to a healthier and more nutritious way of eating. What Is a Healthy Diet? Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) and the Department of Agriculture issue guidelines for a healthy diet.