Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month?
Hi, this is Eunice from Diet Center.
Let’s talk nutrition!
Snacking can be beneficial for weight loss if you consume appropriate portions of nutritious foods. Consuming smaller meals with snacks in between can help boost your metabolism and help you shed more pounds. A good rule to follow is to “pick 2” healthy food choices for a snack but pick them from 2 different food groups. For example, you can pick a non-fat/low-fat dairy choice and a fruit choice. Or a lean protein choice and a whole grain choice.
Selecting a couple items from different food groups will help you obtain a wider variety of vitamins and minerals and will help you obtain a balance of carbohydrates, protein and/or fat. Dairy choices feature calcium, protein, vitamin D and phosphorus. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber, selenium and magnesium. Whole grains provide B vitamins, fiber and trace minerals. Good fat choices provide essential fatty acids. Of course, lean protein is important for meeting protein needs to protect our lean muscle mass, and provides iron, zinc and B vitamins. Talking about lean protein for a moment, did you know that today’s pigs are lighter than they have been in years past. In fact, they’re 75% leaner than in the 1950s! They are lighter in weight and fat content. The six most common cuts of pork are now 16% leaner on average than 19 years ago. The saturated fat content has dropped to an average of 27%. Pigs used to be bred to be 300 pounds or more. Today, they average 176 to 220 pounds, and are more muscular. This is because healthier vegetable oils and shortening have replaced the need for lard. Furthermore, more people are concerned about nutrition.
Lean cuts of pork today are even comparable to cuts of chicken. The fat content in lean pork amounts to less than the fat content in skinless chicken thighs. Lean cuts of pork include tenderloin, loin chops and loin roasts. These cuts have very little fat, so try to avoid overcooking pork to prevent it from drying out.
Just because pork comes from a pig, doesn’t mean that it’s high in fat. Lean cuts of pork are light enough to incorporate into your Diet Center weight loss program.
Back to food groups. Healthy snacks can be incorporated into your Diet Center Weight Loss Program to help you lose weight. They boost your metabolism while helping to control your hunger between meals, help provide the nutrients you need to keep your body functioning at its best and help curb your appetite.
Thank you for reading Diet Center’s tip of the week. If you’ve been trying to incorporate healthy snacks but aren’t achieving the results that you desire I can help. Call Diet Center at 928-753-5066 or stop by 1848 Hope Ave. in Kingman.
