Be Your Own Nutritionist

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist

Check out the answers below to see how well you did.

BREAKFAST: Cereal
1 cup high-fiber cereal (160 calories)	2 grain servings
1 cup non-fat milk	1 dairy serving
1 cup strawberries	1 fruit serving
2 tablespoons walnuts	2 fat servings

LUNCH: Turkey and Swiss sandwich with crudite and dip
2 slices whole-wheat bread	2 grain servings
1 tablespoon light mayo	1 fat serving
2 thin slices turkey breast	1 protein serving
1 slice reduced-fat Swiss	1 protein serving
1/2 tomato, thinly sliced	1/2 vegetable serving
Remaining 1/2 tomato and 1/2 cup carrot sticks	1 1/2 vegetable servings
Dip: 50 calories of reduced-fat ranch dressing	1 fat serving

DINNER: Pasta with grilled chicken and a side salad
1 cup cooked whole-wheat or fiber-enriched pasta	2 grain servings
1/2 cup marinara sauce	2 vegetable servings
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) grilled chicken strips	3 protein servings
Heaping tablespoon grated Parmesan	1/4 dairy serving
1 cup mixed greens	1 vegetable serving
1 cup chopped vegetables	2 vegetable servings
90 calories of olive-oil vinaigrette	2 fat servings

SNACK: Soymilk
1 cup vanilla soymilk (100 calories)	1 dairy serving

ANYTHING GOES CALORIES TREAT

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (140 calories) NOTE: Treats don't count towards your food group servings, but don't forget to include the calories in your daily total.

GROUP	NUMBER OF SERVINGS	CALORIE TOTAL PER FOOD GROUP
GRAINS (80 calories each)	6	480
FRUIT (60 calories each)	1	60
DAIRY (100 calories each)	2 1/4	225
VEGETABLES (25 calories each)	7	175
PROTEIN (65 calories each)	5	325
FAT (45 calories each)	6	270
TREAT (Simply write down total calories because treats don't count towards your food group servings.)	—	140
Total Daily Calorie Estimate		1675