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Burger time!
Science World, May 6, 2002
YOU HATE to waste ride time on a sit-down lunch, but your nose gets wind of a mouthwatering beefy-burger smell drifting from a fast-food stand. Sure, a burger is tasty and convenient, but is it a healthy meal choice? Yes--if it's part of a balanced diet. "A burger will provide the fuel you need to get through the day," says dietician Mary Young, executive director of nutrition for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "When you're running from one ride to the next, you give your muscles a workout. The mineral iron delivers oxygen to muscles so they can move." A three-ounce serving of lean beef--the amount in a typical fast-food burger--provides 14 percent of your daily iron needs (18 milligrams), plus several other vital nutrients (see bar graph, below). The hamburger bun gives you one or two servings from the grain group on the food pyramid. Add lettuce and tomato, and you're satisfying serving needs from three food groups.
Some burger-improvement tips: "Skip the special sauce," says Young. "It has tons of calories and fat, often more than you'll find in the burger patty itself." To keep fat in check and balance the meal, instead of fries and a soda order a side salad and juice or milk. Buy a piece of fruit for a refreshing snack. But what's a day at the amusement park without cotton candy and ice cream? "If you first meet your food-group needs, it's okay to splurge a little," Young says.
BEEF NUTRIENTS Protein 50% Zinc 39% Vitamin [B.sub.12] 37% Selenium 24% Phosphorous 20% Niacin 18% Vitamin [B.sub.4] 16% Iron 14% Riboflavin 12% Percentage of daily nutrient requirements in a three-ounce serving of lean beef. TO GET 100 PERCENT of your daily protein, how many ounces of beef would you need to eat? Note: Table made from bar graph. FATS, SUGARS eat sparingly DAIRY 2-3 servings VEGGIES 3-5 servings BREADS, PASTA, 6-11 servings GRAINS MEATS, EGGS, 2-3 servings NUTS, DRY BEANS FRUITS 2-4 servings THE FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID outlines what you should eat each day. It can help you choose a variety of nutritious foods and maintain a healthy weight.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Scholastic, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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