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June 30, 2005
Prairie Fare: How Do You Spend Your Discretionary Calories?
I was busy helping my toddler-age daughter eat some cantaloupe for a snack one night when my 7-year-old daughter bounded into the kitchen after t-ball practice. She was carrying her post-practice treat from her coach. “She can have these,” my older daughter announced, dropping a snack-size bag of mini-marshmallows on the table. It wasn’t chocolate, so she didn’t want it. My toddler’s eyes lit up, she licked her lips and immediately grabbed for the sweets. I didn’t even know that marshmallows came in treat-size bags. I grabbed for the bag, too. She yelped. I quickly perused the label and learned that an ounce of mini-marshmallows has about 90 calories, 23 grams of carbohydrate (including 17 grams of sugar) and no fat. That’s about all it contained as far as nutrition. Needless to say, the cantaloupe was no longer as desirable. My toddler was eyeing me suspiciously and reaching for the bag. She was preparing to scream. OK, she got the marshmallows, as long as she shared them with me and had a few more bites of cantaloupe. Marshmallows and other sweet treats are no longer at the “tip of the food pyramid,” according to the new nutrition guidelines. The tip of the pyramid, consisting of fats, oils and sweets, is gone. The new pyramid, called “MyPyramid,” consists of vertical segments of various widths and colors representing different foods and recommended amounts. Oils have earned their own slender yellow vertical stripe on the new pyramid. Sweet treats, alcohol, foods containing solid fats, and food amounts above the recommendations are now part of “discretionary calories.” There’s no vertical stripe for discretionary calories. Each person has a daily calorie budget. Calories are units of energy spent to maintain body functions and to provide energy for physical activity. A calorie budget can be divided into “essential” and “extra” (or discretionary) calories. Essential calories are the minimum calories needed to meet basic needs. If you take in more discretionary calories than you burn, you may “bank” the extra as body fat. The new food pyramid at www.MyPyramid.gov can help with budgeting calories. It can help devise a personalized nutrition plan based on age, sex and activity level. For example, a 50-year-old male who is not physically active would need 2,200 calories to meet basic needs. Of those, 290 calories would be discretionary. When “spending” your discretionary calories, choose foods that you really enjoy, that give you satisfaction, and that you can have in small amounts. For example, would a chocolate candy kiss or two satisfy your chocolate craving, or do you need a full-size bar? Pay attention to what and how
much you’re eating, too. If potato chips are your discretionary
calories of choice, eat them slowly and enjoy the texture and flavor.
Even better health-wise, try lower-fat varieties of snacks and enjoy more
nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit, as your extra calories. It’s
easy to become distracted while reading or watching TV and eat more than
you’d planned.
Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
