National Nutrition Month Quiz!

Hey Peeps-

This week has flown by!! Can you believe it's almost Friday? I sure can't! But I'm not complaining:) Tomorrow my in-laws, my husband and I, and another couple are putting on a family garage sale. It's a HUGE chore, but well worth when we get our loot which will be going towards a fun vacation this summer with some other couples! We've never really took a big vacation with friends, so I'm really looking forward to it!

Any suggestions on where to go? Have you ever taken a big vacation with friends?

Anyway, did you know March is National Nutrition Month? Me neither, well, I bet Rae did! Although March is almost over, I try to practice good nutrition on most days and meals. Lots of green and orange veggies (mostly in the version of romaine lettuce and carrots), around 2-3 servings of fruit a day (banana, apples, grapes, unsweetened applesauce), whole wheat carbs (bread, pitas, tortillas), lean protein (chicken, fish) and limited fat and sugar. It's not tooo hard to eat right if you give it a little bit of thought, aren't scared to try new things, and plan your meals.

Source

I thought it would be fun to do a little nutrition quiz to get your brain jumping!

1. How many servings of fruit are recommended in a day?
2 to 3 is optimum! I cut up bananas to put in my cereal. Making a smoothie is also an easy way to get multiple fruit servings in!
What is your favorite food and how do you get 2-3 servings in each day?

2. How many servings of dairy are recommended in a day?
3 cups of low fat or fat free dairy products is recommended. I usually have fat free yogurt (with fruit!), low fat milk and cheese also. If you are lactose intolerant, try to take a calcium supplement to get these nutrients.

3. Whole grains are just as healthy as enriched grains. T or F?
FALSE! Enriched grains are refined grains (fiber, iron and Vitamin B removed) where certain B vitamins and iron are added in, but not the fiber. If you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your grains, stick with whole grain.
Try this delicious banana molasses bread made with whole wheat flour!

4. Are beans part of the protein group?
Yes, they are! And more surprisingly, peas are part of the protein group and both peas and beans are part of the vegetable group as well! Usually, vegetarians count these at protein, and those that eat meat on a regular basis would count them as vegetables.
Check out this easy Coconut Black Bean soup that uses both peas and beans!

5. A few plants can contain cholesterol, like coconut oil and palm kernel. T or F?
FALSE! NO plants contain cholesterol actually! Coconut oil and palm kernel are high in saturated fat, while most other plants are low in saturated fat.
Most women need 5 to 6 teaspoons of oil a day. But most people receive it in normal foods they eat everyday.

I hope you give some special thought to what is on your plate for the rest of the month. Check out USDA'a mypyramid.gov to get some really neat tips and ideas on how to get your daily recommended food in!

I'm off to bed! Happy Friday everyone;)