People in the U.S. are getting fatter and fatter--even kids!. All the experts agree. Why? It's simple. We eat too much, and we don't get enough exercise. Fast foods are high in fat and sugar, people eat too many snacks and not enough regular meals, and a "serving size" in many restaurants is actually enough for several servings. Even in our own dining hall, much of the food is "junk" food because it's easier to make and because nobody thinks kids will choose healthy food.
What can you do about it? Well, it's easy to get more exercise. Just go out and play. Take a walk. Ride your bike. Have a game of basketball.
Even more important, eat a high-quality diet. Get plenty of healthy nutrients, avoid "empty calories," and don't let manufacturers, advertisers, snack shops, and fast-food restaurants run your life for you.
Start with this project. You are going to plan a one-day menu for yourself and use Microsoft Word to create the menu. In this menu, you will list foods for one day. Your task is to make sure your menu is both tasty and good for you. Here are the rules:
Decide for yourself how you want to do this. You could make it an ordinary school day, with lunch in the dining hall. You could make it a menu for a special day such as a birthday or Thanksgiving. You could even (if you can manage it without going way over the calorie limit) eat at a restaurant for every meal. This is your chance to plan your own special menu, and to have fun with it.
Use the Food Labels on your regular foods and these links to help you plan:
This page last modified January 8, 2003
Copyright ©2002 Delia Marshall Turner. All rights reserved.
Questions? Send me a note at dturner@haverford.org