But what if the skeletons aren’t just for Halloween?  

The Skinny Gene Project has been using a diet “skeleton” to help clients with daily meal planning!

Diet Skeleton

Just like each of us is unique, our diet skeleton is a little different, as well.  The skeleton is based on an individual assessment of each person’s calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and fat needs per day.  For a family of four, the diet skeletons may be similar, but the difference will lie in the serving sizes of each food, depending on the needs of each family member.  Here is an example of how a typical dinner may vary for each family member.

*All portions based on standard serving sizes for adults.

Based on the different needs of each individual family member, meal planning can become a difficult challenge that you may face every day.  Here are a few strategic tips to help make meal planning an easier task.   When planning meals, our usual instinct is to think first about the meats and carbohydrates for each meal, but maybe we should try a new approach.

New Approach to Meal Planning

First, choose the vegetables for your meals.  By choosing vegetables first, your meal is more likely to focus on incorporating a variety of vegetables.  Look through your crisper and see what you have to work with.  Green onions, cilantro, bok choy, spinach, broccoli and mushrooms make a great start to a soup.  Bell peppers, zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage can be stir-fried together with olive oil.  Or maybe you only have spinach and broccoli in the refrigerator.  Try sautéing chopped garlic in olive oil and adding spinach and broccoli for a powerful green side to your dinner.   If you are rushed for time, try grabbing a bag of edamame or carrot sticks to add to your dinner on the run.  The great thing about starting with vegetables is that you can be generous on the portions served.  Additional vegetable servings provide more benefits than harm!

Next, choose a protein source that is low in saturated fat, including fish, chicken breast, 94% lean ground beef, pork chops, tofu, eggs or egg whites, and beans.  These protein sources may be incorporated into your vegetables or served on their own.  The usual portion for proteins is 3 oz, which is the size of a deck of cards. A serving of beans is a ½ cup, which is about ½ the size of your fist.   Typically, the American diet is heavily focused on protein, usually exceeding what our body needs.  Although protein is essential for the body, excessive amounts may be stored as fat.

The next nutrient to add to your meal is the fiber-rich, whole grain breads and pastas. This category may also include brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, and legumes.   The serving size for this category is:

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 small to medium sweet potato with skin
•  ½ cup measurement of pasta, rice, beans, lentils, and legumes.

Similar to our protein servings, we often over-serve our grains, which will lead to additional fat storage, as well.

Fat plays an important role in our body.  Our instinct is to limit all fat, but a small amount of the healthier fats is essential to our metabolism.  When planning your meal, choose the right fat in the right amount for your meal.  A couple of safe fats to stock in your home are plant based fats such as olive, canola, and soy oils, avocadoes, nuts, and ground flaxseed.  The proper portion size for these fats is:

•  1 teaspoon of oil, about the size of the tip of your thumb
•  1 oz of avocado, about 1/5 of medium avocado
•  1 oz of nuts, less than a small handful.

If your protein source is fish, you can count that toward both protein and fat servings.

The last two important foods to include in our daily skeleton are fruit and dairy.  Each person should have a minimum of 3 servings of each per day.  A glass of low fat milk goes well with each meal, but your dairy servings may also be fulfilled with 1 cup low fat yogurt or 1 oz cheese for a snack or added to your meals.   Fruits go well with dairy, for example, a blended fruit smoothie, cottage cheese and fruit, or Greek yogurt topped with berries.

In addition to incorporating your fruits together with dairy, a single piece of fruit alone can help keep your appetite in control between meal times or provide you with a sweet treat for dessert to finish your day.

The diet skeleton can give each of us an outline of what our body needs, but the important decision is to fill in the skeleton with the right foods and in the right amounts.

 The McDonald’s Dollar Menu, El Pollo Loco’s Loco Value Menu, Taco Bell’s Why Pay More value menu and  the Wendy’s Super Value Menu are all great for our pocketbooks, but what about our waist lines?  When it comes to eating out, everyone would like a deal, but after reviewing the $1 menus at several fast food restaurants, a deal may not be what our body really wants….or needs!

When it comes to fast food, the tricky part is figuring out if a true “value” is being offered, or if it’s an “eat now, pay later” kinda thing? 

Fast food is notorious for being two things, cheap and loaded with fat – especially our heart’s enemy, saturated fat.  Although the cost of the food may leave you with a few extra dollars in your pocketbook for the week, the high fat content can really do some damage on the scale and to your long-term savings. 

What if $1 today would cost you (not your insurance) more than $10,000 in the future? Not sounding much like a value now, does it?

The American Heart Association recommends eating foods with less than 25- 35% of calories coming from fat, eating foods with calories from fat >35% can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, especially if you have high blood pressure or extra weight!  Heart Disease is the #1 killer in the US, and one of the most expensive diseases to treat. Yikes!

So, knowing that we want to keep the % of calories from fat below 35% (ideally below 30%), here’s what I found out about the real value offered at these fast food giants…..

Let’s start with Wendy’s. The Wendy’s Super Value Menu has some delicious items, such as the Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, 5-piece Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, and 3 types of Chicken Go Wraps, but on average 46% of the total calories of all of these “value” items comes from fat!  This (meaning the 46%)  is 150% of our desired maximum calories from fat, which should have 30% or less of the total calories coming from fat.

So these $1 dollar deals are not the best, but what can you order that won’t put your heart and health in danger?  The Grill Chicken Go Wrap has the lowest % of calories from fat at 36%, this would go nicely with a side salad, mandarin orange cup, or baked potato that would decrease the meals fat composition closer to 30%. 

America’s favorite fast food chain, McDonald’s, received the wrath of the media with the documentary “Super Size Me”, but also responded with an attempt to make their menu items “healthier”.   But how did they do?  Yes, they are using healthier oils, trans fat free, and have added the Apple Dippers, yogurt parfaits, and a variety of  salads to the menu, but what about the Dollar Menu?  The lunch (or non breakfast) menu contains one sandwich, the McDouble, which has 44% calories from fat, again 150% of our desired maximum calories from fat (which should be less than 30%) and don’t forget the fries, another whopping 45% calories from fat! 

The dollar menu does include healthier options of the side salad and Yogurt Parfaits, both great choices all around! 

This topic could go on and on, including the Jack in the Box Value Menu as well as the Taco Bell Why Pay More Menu, both containing multiple items with 50% calories from fat! 

When eating out, you must do your homework!  Look for key words such as grilled and baked and ask for no mayo or dressings!  Looking for healthy dining choices marked on the menu or check out www.healthydiningfinder.com to find the best choices on the run!    

Oh, and don’t fall into the label trap! Nutrition labels can be very misleading. Remember to look at the cute little line “Calories from fat”, it is hiding below the total calories, to see what percent of the calories in your food is coming from fat.  Our goal is to have the calories from fat be less than 20-30% of the total calories.   The other line that says total fat, followed by daily value % is usually a small number that doesn’t tell us what we really need to know! 

Still a little confusing? Here’s an example…. Quaker Corn Bran cereal has 90 calories per 3/4 cup serving – 10 of the 90 calories are from fat, therefore we can conclude this in an excellent choice of cereal with a total of 11% calories from fat!  The confusing part of the label says the cereal is 2% daily value of fat, but that is based on a 2000 calorie diet – but it’s not specific to you!  Another reason this cereal is a great choice is the 5 whopping grams of fiber, but we can talk more about that later!

If you have questions about reading labels and finding  the % of fat, please email me at healthyhome@jmossfoundation.org.

By Emily Barr, MS, RD, CNSC

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families that would not qualify for federal or state programs that would provide such care. MHM invests well over $30 million annually to provide quality healthcare to the communities surrounding their 3 primary clinics. The Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program will be implemented in two of these facilities, Wesley Health and Wellness and Dixon Clinic.

The Wesley Health and Wellness Center provides care for one of the most under-served populations in San Antonio. The area has nearly 100,000 individuals (90% Hispanic), of which more than half are 185% below the federal poverty guidelines. The Dixon Clinic provides medical and counseling services to a community on San Antonio’s east side, which has a large African-American population.

In 2009, Kevin Moriarty, President and CEO, expressed to the Skinny Gene Project his great concern for the growing obesity and diabetes epidemic that was affecting their communities. MHM has excellent programs in place to help their patients control their diabetes, but they realized a more aggressive approach would be needed  to fend off this disease. To better serve their communities, Kevin decided to take it take it one step further and implement a program that focuses on diabetes prevention.

As of April 2010, we are proud to announce that the Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program is successfully being implemented at MHM. Over the next 12-months, our bilingual nutritionist (Nancy Juarez), under the supervision of our Senior Registered Dietitian (Emily Barr,MS,RD,CNSC), will be working one-on-one with a total of 15 patients to help them adopt healthy lifestyle changes and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Here are some of the new members of our Skinny Gene Family, San Antonio!

We’ve asked Nancy to share her experiences with us. Here’s what she had to say….

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families. Their first and utmost interest is to provide the best quality healthcare they are able to offer to their patients. They provide medical, dental, and social services, along with a variety of activities, for the families they serve. They provide after-school care for children, whose parents work late, as well as computer and fitness classes for various ages ranging from children up to seniors. In the short period of time that I have worked in the MHM facility, it has opened my eyes to many possibilities and shown me the kind of help this organization can provide to its patients. Not only is there a sense of community, but there is also a real sense of family. A considerable number of families that benefit from MHM’s services are extremely grateful. If it wasn’t for MHM, these families wouldn’t have access to essential medical care, as well as the expensive medicines required to treat significant conditions and diseases. MHM has top-of-the-line equipment, which makes it possible for them to provide the best quality of care to each of their patients.

As a Skinny Gene nutritionist, I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with MHM. Since diabetes is a huge issue affecting millions of Americans in South Texas, this program will help these families by teaching them to make better food choices in order to achieve a longer and healthier life. We are currently making a difference in the lives of 15 individuals who are a part of our inaugural program at MHM. I am personally working with each of these wonderful people who are all grateful to Methodist for putting our Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program in their lives. Each patient has an immediate family member or relative that has been diagnosed with diabetes, and after seeing the impact the condition has on their lives, want to prevent it from affecting them or their children.

Prior to this program, these patients (all at-risk of developing diabetes) had never been instructed by a personal nutritionist or dietitian on what they should or shouldn’t eat to lead a healthy life. Having the opportunity to have a nutritionist to guide them along the way to attain their goals is a dream to them.

All of these wonderful people are extremely motivated and excited to make very good use of what is being taught to them.

I have something in common with most of these patients—we come from Mexican descent.  As a bilingual nutritionist familiar with their culture and customs, I am able to communicate to them in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. I am very pleased with the progress we have made in the short time we’ve had, but in time the difference will be noticeable and we will have paved the road for a healthier life.

The blended family, job losses, home foreclosures, and aging parents are all reasons an extra chair (or two) are being pulled up to the dinner table. It’s the 2010 version of the Brady bunch, which could now includes babies, toddlers, preschool and school age children, teenagers, 20s, 30s, pregnant women, over the hill, and our beloved seniors.

Each person is at a different phase in life, and requires his/her own special dietary attention. So how do you keep up the with balanced nutrition for different age groups, and keep a healthy home? Good question. I’d say plant your family tree and watch it grow!  With the right nutrition, of course!

By Ronaldo F Cabuhat

Different ages, different requirement to be healthy!  Here are some important nutrients for the family members in your home:

Babies:  Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin A, B12

Toddlers:  Calcium, Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin A

School Age:  Calcium, Vitamin D, B6, Zinc, fiber, Iron

Teenagers:  Calcium, Iron, Zinc, fiber

Adults:  Calcium, Iron, Zinc, fiber

Seniors: Calcium, Iron, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin A, C, and E, fiber, B12

The nutrition needs of our family are always changing. To adapt to this ever-changing household, first focus on the roots of your family tree, the minerals that are essential for all ages- Calcium, Iron, and Zinc.  Let’s say a house had a teenager, toddler, and an elderly family member all sitting at the same table for dinner.

CALCIUM

When it comes to Calcium, teenagers need 250% of the Calcium a toddlers needs.  But if your toddler or teenager drinks or eats too much milk or calcium rich foods, they may become deficient in another mineral, Iron

Our children are at risk!  Studies show that ~75% of teenagers are falling short of their Calcium needs.   Now that your 16 year old teenage boy is flying more independently and sprouting up taller than you, you may want to keep tabs on what he is drinking.  The teenage years are very important for bone growth, which in typical teenage fashion, your teenager may not care about and would rather drink Calcium’s competitor, soda and energy drinks.  A teenager needs 1300 mg Calcium per day, the highest of any age group.  In order to meet these sky-high requirements, your teenager needs to get 4-5 servings of milk or other dairy sources every day!   

Good sources of Calcium are primarily dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, and regular cheeses.  But you can also find some Calcium in smaller amounts in Calcium fortified OJ, tofu, and green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale, and turnip greens. 

If lactose intolerance is a problem for your family, be sure to try soymilk, it contains about the same amount of Calcium as a glass of milk. 

There are many additional factors to consider, like how well our body absorbs Calcium. Some factors help and some make it more difficult!  These factors include Vitamin D, Sodium, Potassium, Fiber, Protein, Caffeine, Alcohol, Age, Ethnicity, and Pregnancy to name a few.  Our bodies are so complex; sometimes it’s not as easy as drinking 3 cups of milk a day!

IRON

Iron is what helps oxygen get to all parts of your body, iron deficiency is the number one nutritional disorder in the world (WHO), resulting in feeling tired or weak, poor school performances, increased illness.  Iron deficiency anemia can be a problem especially for pregnant women, premature babies, toddlers, teenage girls, athletes, overweight children, and people with renal failure and gastrointestinal disorders.

Females 14-50 years of age have the highest Iron requirements related to increased blood loss with their monthly cycles.  Be sure the women in your family are eating food rich in iron all month long!  Try adding spinach to salads or sandwiches, offer OJ with your morning oatmeal, and include meat, poultry or fish in your evening meal.

Iron is found in both animal sources, such as red meats, chicken, turkey, and fish, as well as plant sources including cereals, oatmeal, soybeans, lentils, beans, and spinach.  Look for foods that have greater than 20% of the Daily Value for Iron on the nutrition label. 

ZINC

Keep you immune function up and kids growing with Zinc!  Children can often be picky resulting in poor intakes often times of meats, which may result in zinc deficiency.  Inadequate zinc intake may cause your child not to grow as well, may cause problems with their hair, nails, and skin, or may decrease their appetites.  Loss of appetite may also be a concern for the older family members who may not be eating enough overall, therefore eating less zinc. 

If your 2 year old little princess is stuck on macaroni and cheese and nothing else, she may be in need of more zinc!  Try making that macaroni and cheese with lean hamburger meat! 

The best sources of zinc are found in red meats and chicken, but also found in cereals fortified with zinc, beans, peas, oatmeal, milk and nuts. 

Calcium, Iron, and Zinc are essential parts of your family’s diet, but what happens when you add other factors in such as trying to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, lactose intolerance, athletes to feed, vegetarian, control diabetes, and other factors complicating your family’s dinner.

Making a healthy meal for your family tree can be as difficult as keeping up with each and every one of their needs!   To learn more about the nutritional needs of your family tree, join our free seminars! To find out about upcoming dates follow our blog or follow us on facebook.

Kids in the Kitchen is an annual event designed to address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition by getting children and their parents excited about leading a healthy lifestyle through interactive, hands-on activities.

It was such a joy to teach the importance of vitamins to more than 1,500 attendees this year. We are always so impressed by the parent’s desire to create a healthy home for their families, and the kids’ willingness to learn a fact or two.

It doesn’t hurt, of course, that each child is given a “bingo card” that requires a stamp from our Vitamin Central booth to win prizes.

While we try to unload as much fun vitamin knowledge as we can, at times we’d notice adorable little eyes fixated on the stamp tucked in our hands– waiting anxiously for us to reward them for finding our booth.

Most of the time, the kids are like sponges, taking in whatever they can. We are frequently shocked by how knowledgeable they are about nutrition, and their love for fruits and vegetables.

Last year, one little boy even asked Kim (our Skinny Gene RN) if Vitamin K, referred to as the “Clotmaster”, had anything to do with platelets. Wow!

This year’s best response came from a sweet little girl. When Kim asked her “Where are your bones?” She confidently replied, “At home.” Turns out she has a couple of dogs.

Kids in the kitchen is fun and rewarding, in so many ways. Our hope is that the kids will leave realizing that yes, food should taste good; but it also has a purpose. Eating colorful, vitamin rich foods is important- whether they want to be strong like Popeye, have good vision like Superman, or just wanna live life and play in the sun.

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

One of the most common questions we heard was, “How much Vitamin__ should my kid be getting?” We promised to give you the actual breakdown, so here it is, and a quick reminder as to why your kids need these vitamins.

“How Come?”

Vitamins play an important role in the health and development of our children. Adding vitamin-rich foods into our children’s diet is an easy way to help our children live a long and healthy life.

Our booth focused on a  few of the benefits of eating foods rich in A, C, D (and calcium), E, and K.

Vitamin A: Improves your eyesight and helps your body to fight germs

Vitamin C: Forms collagen, which maintains healthy tissues (muscles and gums). This vitamin also helps to boost your immune system.

Vitamin D: Helps your body to absorb calcium, which grows strong bones.

Vitamin E: Protects your skin from harmful UV rays. This vitamin is also a powerful antioxidant that protects your body from disease.

Vitamin K: Allows your blood to clot, which stops cuts from bleeding. It also helps to bind calcium to the bone.

“How Much?”