Nutrition Tools for a Healthy Diet

Nutrition Tools for a Healthy Diet: From GovGab: "I have been on a mission to be healthier for about a year. I do 1 hour of cardio and about 30 minutes of strengthening and stretching exercises, 5 times a week. I also try to eat a healthy diet with whole grains, fish, chicken, and lots of fruits and veggies. I do this to stay healthy and to fight my diabetes. Do I like doing all of this? Not really! It is hard work. In the back of my mind I am always thinking: when can I fit in my exercise; how much water have I had today; and what will I eat today that is healthy and nutritionally balanced? I am always on the lookout for anything that will help me in my quest to be healthy.

Recently, when I learned of a new tool called MyFoodapedia, I was thrilled. This tool allows visitors to search on a particular food to learn about its nutritional value. You select the quantity and any add-ons that you may use with that food. Using those values, the tool classifies what food groups and what portions of daily requirements are being met by eating that item. It calculates total calories, and the calories for the extras (solid fats, added sugars, and alcohol) for that serving. For instance, I entered oatmeal and set the quantity to 1 cup. I selected fat free milk and white sugar as an add-on. The tool classified it as 2 oz. of whole grains, 1 cup of milk, 33 calories for the extras, and a total of 261 calories.


MyPyramid Menu Planner is also a really great tool that you should try. It allows you to find a food, select the amount and any add-ons like butter or dressing and then assign it to a meal. You can create your whole menu for the day. As you proceed, it keeps a running tally of your calories and your progress towards eating a balanced diet, according to the food guide pyramid. You can register to create an account which will allow you to save your menus and view daily or weekly reports to show your progress.


The MyPyramid Plan section allows you to enter your age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity level. Based on the values you set, the tool calculates the quantities you should be eating from each food group and the overall calories you should be consuming on a daily basis. It also provides tips and helpful guidance on selecting the best foods.


While on the MyPyramid.gov website I saw a link for Apps for Healthy Kids Contest. I think this is actually kind of cool. This is a contest with $60,000 in prizes to create innovative, fun and engaging software tools and games that encourage children directly, or through their parents, to make more nutritious food choices and be more physically active. Getting kids interested in nutrition and staying healthy when they are young may help them to develop lifelong good habits, and that has got to be a good thing, so
if you are a programmer, you may want to check this contest out.
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