Take the diet quiz - Cover Story

We know (at least we hope) you love to read Nutrition Action Healthletter. But are we getting through? Are you changing your diet based on what you read? Here's your chance to find out.

So take out your pencils and turn to page 8. That's where you'll find our "Third (Sort of) Annual Nutrition Action Quiz."

We've made a few changes this year, to reflect the availability of more fat-free snacks and new evidence on margarine. We're also a little tougher on saturated fat and bread that's not whole grain. The quiz lets you rate your diet on a scale that ranges from "Great" to "Arrgh." Its 40 questions should give you a good feeling for how you're doing, and its answers may even suggest a couple of things you can do to eat better.

So Good Luck...and no peeking.

How's Your Diet?

The 40 questions below will help you focus on the key features of your diet. The (+) or (-) numbers under each set of answers instantly pat you on the back for good habits or alert you to problems you may not even realize you have.

The Grand Total rates your overall diet, on a scale from "Great" to "Arrgh!"

The quiz focuses on fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber, and vitamins A and C. It doesn't attempt to cover everything in your diet. Also, it doesn't try to measure precisely how much of these key nutrients you eat. (For that, we recommend the DINE nutrition software. To order, see page 15.)

What the quiz will do is give you a rough sketch of your current eating habits and, implicitly, suggest what you can do to improve them.

And don't despair over a less-than-perfect score. We didn't get a +117 either.

INSTRUCTIONS

* Under each answer is a number with a + or - sign in front of it. Circle the number that is directly beneath the answer you choose. That's your score for the question. (If you use a pencil, you can erase your answers and give the quiz to someone else.)

* Circle only one number for each question, unless the instructions tell you to "average two or more scores if necessary."

* How to average. In answering question 18, for example, if you drink club soda (+3) and coffee (-1) on a typical day, add the two scores (which gives you +2) and then divide by 2. That gives you a score of +1 for the question. If averaging gives you a fraction, round it to the nearest whole number.

* If a question doesn't apply to you, skip it.

* Pay attention to serving sizes. For example, a serving of vegetables is 1/2 cup. If you usually eat one cup of vegetables at a time, count it as two servings.

* Add up all your + scores and your - scores.

* Subtract your - scores from your + scores. That's your GRAND TOTAL.

QUIZ

1. How many times per week do you eat unprocessed red meat (steak, roast beef, lamb or pork chops, burgers, etc.)?

(a) 0/+3 (b) 1 or less/+2 (c) 2-3/0 (d) 4-5/-1 (e) 6 or more/-3

2. How many times per week do you eat processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, sausage, bologna, luncheon meats, etc.)? (OMIT products that contain one gram of fat or less per serving.)

(a) 0/+3 (b) less than 1/+2 (c) 1/0 (d) 2-3/-1 (e) 4 or more/-3

3. What kind of ground meat or poultry do you usually eat?

(a) regular or lean ground beef/-3 (b) extra lean ground beef/-2 (c) ground round/-1 (d) ground turkey/+1 (e) Healthy Choice/+3 (f) don't eat ground meat/+3

4. Do you trim the visible fat when you cook or eat red meat?

(a) yes/+1 (b) no/-3 (c) don't eat red meat/0

5. After cooking, how large is the serving of red meat you usually eat? (To convert from raw to cooked, reduce by 25 percent. For example, 4 oz. of raw meat shrinks to 3 oz. after cooking. There are 16 oz. in a pound.)

(a) 8 oz. or more/-3 (b) 6-7 oz./-2 (c) 4-5 oz./-1 (d) 3 oz. or less/0 (e) don't eat red meat/+3

6. What type of bread, rolls, bagels, etc., do you usually eat?

(a) 100% whole wheat/+3 (b) whole wheat as 1st or 2nd ingredient/+2 (c) rye, pumpernickel, or oatmeal/+1 (d) white, French, or Italian/-1

7. How many times per week do you eat deep-fried foods (fish, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, etc.)?

(a) 0/+3 (b) 1-2/0 (c) 3-4/-1 (d) 5 or more/-3

8. How many servings of non-fried vegetables do you usually eat per day? (One serving = 1/2 cup. INCLUDE potatoes.)

(a) 0/-3 (b) 1/0 (c) 2/+1 (d) 3/+2 (e) 4 or more/+3

9. How many servings of cruciferous vegetables do you usually eat per week? (ONLY count kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, greens, bok choy, kohlrabi, turnip, and rutabaga. One serving = 1/2 cup.)

(a) 0/-3 (b) 1-3/+1 (c) 4-6/+2 (d) 7 or more/+3

10. How many servings of vitamin-A-rich fruits or vegetables do you usually eat per week? (ONLY count cantaloupe, apricots, or cooked carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, winter squash, or greens. One serving = 1/2 cup.)

(a) 0/-3 (b) 1-3/+1 (c) 4-6/+2 (d) 7 or more/+3

11. How many times per week do you eat at a fast-food restaurant? (INCLUDE burgers, fried fish or chicken, croissant or biscuit sandwiches, topped potatoes, and other main dishes. OMIT plain baked potatoes, broiled skinned chicken, or low-fat salads.)