Wellness Wisdom: Activities for Building Happy, Healthy Families
Portion Sizes and Why They are Important
If you ever flip a food package around, you will notice a panel called the Nutrition Facts. You may notice it says how many servings per container and then how much is in a serving size. The serving size is there to tell you how much of each nutrient is in that specific amount of food. When you are eating that food, how much you choose to eat is called your portion size. This may or may not be the same amount listed as the serving size for the food.
Everyone requires a different amount of food and nutrients in the day, so each person’s portion size will need to be different. It is important to control your portions to not overeat for your body, leading to weight gain. Knowing how to measure your foods without carrying around a food scale or measuring cups will be very important for your health.
Here are some examples:
- A baseball or your fist = 1 cup. Use this for vegetables or fruits.
- A tennis ball or scooped handful = ½ cup. Use this for grains like rice, pasta and cereal.
- A deck of cards or the palm of your hand = about 3 ounces. Use this for proteins like meats and tofu.
- The size of your thumb = 1 Tbsp. Use this for peanut or other nut butters.
- A postage stamp or the tip of your pointer finger = 1 tsp. Use this for oils and other fats.
Check out MyPlate Plan to determine how much of each food group you should be eating in a day!
Breastfed From the Start: Helpful Tips for Mastering Breastfeeding
Latch Tips for the Frustrated Mom
- Position baby so it is comfortable for baby and YOU.
- Baby’s tummy and chest should be touching mom’s tummy.
- Before latching, hold baby nose to nipple.
- Hold your breast in a ‘C’ hold. Curve your hand like a ‘C’ with thumb on top, supporting your breast behind the areola.
- Wait for baby to open mouth WIDE. You can lightly stroke baby’s upper lip with the nipple to get a wide gape.
- Nipple should be pointed at the roof of baby’s mouth.
- Pull baby quickly on to the breast so that chin and lower jaw make first contact, not the nose. Baby should take in more of the lower breast than the upper breast.
- If baby only latches to the nipple, simply remove baby from breast and try again. Use your smallest finger in the corner of baby’s mouth to break the latch.
- Find more tips in the SD WIC Library.
Babies latching through laid-back breastfeeding or natural breastfeeding are able to latch with less concern with how to hold the breast and baby’s head. It is more about mom’s body supporting the baby in these positions. Learn more about laid-back breastfeeding at naturalbreastfeeding.com.
Reach out to your local WIC office or Breastfeeding Peer Counselor any time you need support!
Delicious & Nutritious Recipes: Simple, Kid Approved Dishes to Try at Home
Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf with Veggies
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen broccoli (fresh works too)
1 large sweet potato
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ pound lean ground beef
1 egg
2 Tbsp bread crumbs
3 Tbsp barbeque sauce
¼ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
- Wash your hands and the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut sweet potato into ½ inch cubes and place onto large baking sheet. On other half of the sheet pan, add broccoli.
- Drizzle oil over vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables with oil and seasoning using your hands. Place sheet into preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp barbeque sauce, paprika and garlic powder in a medium size bowl. Using your hands or a fork, mix until well combined. Wash hands thoroughly.
- Remove vegetables from oven after their 15 minute cook time, stir each vegetable. Push the vegetables off to the side of the pan.
- Divide meatloaf mixture into two and shape into small loaves. Place the shaped loaves onto the baking sheet. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp barbeque sauce over loaves. Wash hands thoroughly.
- Return sheet to the oven and roast another 20 minutes or until the meatloaves reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
This post was last updated on December 1st, 2021 at 3:16 PM
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