Keeping a watchful eye on 'college foods'
Vending-machine 'meals,' ramen noodles and pizza must be taken in moderation
Virginia Zantow/Daily Staff Writer
For the on-the-go life of a college student, it's easy to cook up some ramen, microwave a TV dinner or rip open a bag of chips. Your health, however, may be suffering from your lack of time.
Pre-packaged foods may be convenient, but as with anything else, it's important to use discretion when purchasing them.
Judith Trumpy, a registered licensed dietitian who works with campus dining services, sat down an upper-level dietetics student to discuss some of the issues that can be especially problematic concerning processed foods.
With Trumpy's and the student's help, listed here are three problem areas to look out for typical to many pre-packaged foods.
Problem #1: Fat
The USDA dietary guidelines say consumers should make sure less than 30 percent of their daily calorie intake consists of fats.
In particular, she said consumers should look out for hydrogenated fats, trans fats and saturated fats, all of which raise bad, or LDL, cholesterol.
Trans fats, formerly found in many snack foods, are now being removed from many products' ingredients. As of Jan. 6, 2006, food manufacturers are required to put it on their label.
Even if a product has gotten rid of trans fats, however, it hasn't necessarily ousted all problematic fats. Products that don't contain trans fats may still contain hydrogenated fats.
"I always think of them as being on par," Trumpy said.
Although they are different in form, they both pose a risk to consumers' health.
"Both of them raise blood cholesterol. That's the important part," she said.
Trumpy said that trans fats do occur in small amounts in beef and some other animal products.
Saturated fats, however, are found in significant amounts in animal products such as beef, pork, lamb, whole milk, cream, cheese and butter.
Both trans fats and saturated fats can be found on nutrition facts labels.
Problem #2: Sugar
Another issue with a lot of packaged foods is sugar. Just because something is low in fat doesn't mean it is also low in sugar.
Trumpy said that it's recommended that consumers get about 50 grams a day of sugar - or 10 percent of their calories - from refined sugar products such as cookies, pop and candy.
That isn't very much. Trumpy said that about two Oreos after dinner isn't a bad thing, but munching down on the whole bag isn't the best idea.
"Learn to develop a taste for the 'sweetness' in fruits, dairy, whole grains," Trumpy said.
Problem #3: Sodium
Another important thing students should consider when purchasing foods is their sodium content.
Although extra sodium may not contribute to weight gain, it's still important to watch, since it can contribute to high blood pressure.
"Sodium recommendation is a max of 2,400 milligrams a day," Trumpy said. "Fifteen hundred [milligrams] is strongly encouraged."
Many products contain high amounts of sodium to enhance their flavor, however, it isn't very healthy.
Sometimes students might gravitate toward frozen meals, which typically contain a large amount of sodium.
If students do choose to eat a frozen meal, Trumpy recommended they add about a half cup of vegetables - canned or frozen - a piece of fruit or side salad, along with a slice of whole wheat bread and a glass of skim milk.
That way, Trumpy said, they might not be hungry later and go for a bag of chips, and they're also diluting the overall sodium intake.
Finally, paying attention to the concentration of fat, sugar and sodium in products can help in discerning what to buy, but Mary Tidwell, senior in dietetics, stressed the importance of moderation in general.
"'Everything in moderation' is what you always come back to," she said.
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Patrick O'Donnell
posted 9/22/06 @ 1:04 PM CST
This is good article! I think another interesting argument that people make against eating fresh, healthy foods is cost. They can't afford to cook or purchase fresh produce, etc. (Continued…)
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