Food for thought

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 1996

How much do you know about food, nutrition, and physical fitness? Don't be discouraged if some of your answers to the questions below are wrong. Consider this quiz a learning experience that can help you make smarter choices for your family.

1. Which is the only real concern about sugar in children's diets:

[]A. It can cause diabetes []B. It has too many calories []C. It makes children hyperactive []D. It causes cavities in teeth

2. Which of the following has the most vitamin C?

[]A. One cup strawberries []B. One medium kiwi []C. One medium nectarine []D. One medium apple

3. The best way to help an overweight child lose weight is to limit portion sizes at meals. []True []False

4. A seven-year-old needs how much fiber each day?

[]A. Five grams []C. 25 grams []B. 12 grams []D. 100 grams

5. Rate the fiber content, from most to least, in the following foods.

[]A. Two multi-bran waffles []B. One slice wheat bread []C. One medium pear []D. One cup raisin bran cereal

6. Which of the following has the least fat?

[]A. One tablespoon butter []B. One tablespoon margarine []C. One tablespoon peanut butter []D. One tablespoon apple buffer

7. What is a good strategy for limiting fat?

[]A. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables available []B. Use nonstick vegetable sprays to reduce added fat when cooking []C. Serve whole-grain bread, pasta, and cereal regularly []D. Try angel food cake, frozen fruit bars, or low-fat frozen yogurt instead of rich cream desserts []E. All of the above

8. The average American child, aged six to 11, watches how much television in a week?

[]A. Eight hours []C. 23 hours []B. 12 hours []D. 28 hours

9. By the time boys and girls are eight or nine years old, they should be able to do an average of how many push-ups in one minute?

[]A. Five to eight []C. 10 to 15 []B. Six to nine []D. 15 to 20

10. Which of the following is not aerobically equal to running one mile?

[]A. Eight to 12 minutes jumping rope []B. Eight to 12 minutes of volleyball []C. Eight to 12 minutes nonstop jumping on a pogo stick []D.One mile walking

ANSWERS

1. D. Sugar does give children an energy boost, but repeated studies show that this can not be interpreted as making kids hyperactive. Nor can sugar be blamed for diabetes. One teaspoon of sugar has lei calories. Lots of sugar, like lots of anything with calories, can contribute to weight problems and spoil a child's appetite for foods with more nutrients. Any form of carbohydrate, including sugar, on children's teeth stimulates decay. Be sure kids brush their teeth after every eating occasion.

2. A. The strawberries have N mg. of vitamin C-more than an orange (80). The kiwi runs a close second, with 75 mg. The apple has eight mg., and the nectarine seven mg. Youngsters aged five to 10 need P mg., and 11- to 14-year-olds 50 mg. a day.

3. False. Parents can help by providing a variety of good-tasting, low-fat, low-calorie foods to everyone at the table. The child should be allowed to choose what to eat and how much to eat. Restricting foods makes a youngster anxious, and may lead to sneaking food and overeating. In addition, the parent should encourage more activity and less television and/for video and computer games.

4. B. The formula for fiber is the child's age plus five.

5. D. Raisin bran, a favorite of children, has seven grams of fiber. Most cereals have fiber, but those with bran have the most. It's the bran in the waffles that accounts for their six grams of fiber. Whole wheat breads generally have two to three grams of fiber per slice, about twice as much as plain wheat. The pear has four grams of fiber. Remember, much of the fiber gets strained out when fruit is juiced.

6. D. Apple butter is made from naturally fat-free apples and has no added fat. A tablespoon of butter or margarine has 11 to 12 grams of fat. Whipped, tub, and "lite," versions have less fat and, because they are easier to spread, you generally use less. The peanut butter has four grams of fat, but is a cholesterol-free source of protein and contains one gram of fiber.

7. E. All these tips can help limit fat, especially if you eat according to the Food Guide Pyramid and get plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grain products. When trying to reduce fat, make small changes everyone in the family can live with. Remember, the total diet is what counts, not individual foods. Those with higher and lower amounts of fat should balance each other out as part of a healthful eating plan.

8. C. Kids spend more time watching television or playing computer and video games than they do in active play-almost one full day out of a seven-day week! This sedentary lifestyle, which often includes snacking, contributes to the alarming fact that childhood obesity has more than doubled since the 1960s.

9. C. Ten to 15 is the average. To rate "excellent," a child must do more than 20 push-ups. By age 12to 13, the standard for one minute is over A for girls and more than 41 for boys.