Dietary Guidelines

Avrom Systems Corporate Wellness does not promote a particular diet but encourages healthy eating habits through portion control and a diet based on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein, including low fat or fat free dairy products. For those wishing to lose weight, please visit www.mypyramid.gov for caloric recommendations based upon age, gender and activity level with the corresponding daily amounts of food recommended from each food group. It is advisable to check with your physician or other health care provider before attempting to follow a restricted calorie diet. If you have been advised to follow a prescribed diet for a particular health condition, please consult your physician before participating in this part of the program.

Examples of Single Serving Sizes

Whole grains

  • 1 slice bread
  • ½ bagel, roll or muffin
  • ½ cup cooked cereal
  • 1 oz ready to eat cereal
  • ½ cup brown or wild rice
  • 1 cup popcorn
  • 4 crackers

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel: examples include whole wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, popcorn, whole grain barley, cornmeal or rye, and less common examples such as amaranth, millet, quinoa and sorghum.

Vegetables

  • 1 cup leafy raw vegetables (lettuce, spinach, etc.)
  • ½ cup cooked or raw vegetables
  • ¾ cup vegetable juice
  • ½ cup cooked legumes (peas, beans, lentils)

Fruits

  • 1 medium apple, orange, peach, plum, etc.
  • ½ banana, grapefruit
  • ½ cup berries, cherries or grapes
  • ½ cup cooked or canned fruit
  • ¼ cup dried fruit
  • 1 small melon wedge
  • ¾ cup 100% fruit juice

Lean Meat Protein

  • 3 ounces broiled, baked, poached or steamed lean pork or beef, skinless poultry or fish
  • 2 eggs poached or boiled
  • 3 ounces water packed canned fish

Non-meat Protein

  • 4 ounces tofu
  • ½ cup cooked legumes (peas, beans, lentils)
  • 1 ounce dry roasted nuts

Alcohol

  • 4 to 5 ounces wine
  • 10 ounces wine cooler
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 1 ¼ ounce distilled liquor (80 proof whiskey, scotch, rum or vodka)

A note about fats:

Saturated fats and trans-fats tend to increase the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood. Cutting back on foods containing saturated fats and trans-fats is recommended to lower the risk of heart disease.

Trans-fats can be found in significant amounts in vegetable shortening, some margarines and peanut butters, commercially prepared crackers, cookies, chips and other snack foods made with partially hydrogenated oils. As of January 2006, manufacturers are required to list trans-fats on their labels.