Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices 139 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. People who are gaining weight are consuming more calories than they are burning. People can use tools like online calorie counters and smartphone apps to track their calories. This will help them enjoy healthy foods while choosing amounts that fi t within their daily calorie needs. Focus on Variety, Nutrient Density, and Amount To meet nutrient needs without consuming too many calories requires variety. This means including a diverse assortment of foods and beverages across and within all food groups and subgroups in your daily diet. Eating a variety of foods within the appropriate calorie level is important for good health. An individual’s nutrient needs are better met with food rather than with supplements. While choosing foods within calorie needs, it is important to make choices that are good sources of required nutrients. This means choosing more foods and beverages that are nutrient dense. Such choices provide vitamins, minerals, and other healthy substances with little or no solid fats, added sugars, refi ned starches, and sodium. The most nutrient-dense forms of foods also keep nutritional components that occur in them naturally. For instance, unsweetened applesauce is fairly nutrient dense. It is fat free and contains no added sugars. However, a fresh apple is even more nutrient dense than the unsweetened sauce. The whole fruit is a source of dietary fi ber, some of which is lost when the fruit is made into sauce (Figure 8.5). Figure 8.4 Calorie needs are affected by body size as well as age and activity level. These calorie needs are estimates based on median body sizes for 14- to 18-year-old teens. Daily Calorie Needs Activity Level Gender and Age Group Females, 14–18 years Males, 14–18 years Sedentary 1,800 2,000–2,400* Moderately Active 2,000 2,400–2,800* Active 2,400 2,800–3,200* *Lower calorie levels within a range are needed by younger teens higher levels are needed by older teens. Health and Wellness The Physical Activity Side of Calorie Balance Increasing physical activity goes hand in hand with tracking calorie intake to manage weight. Being physically active does more than burn the calories consumed from foods. It improves muscle tone and strengthens the heart and lungs. It also promotes a sense of mental well-being. The activities chosen should call for more movement than what is needed for normal daily tasks. Moderate activities include bike riding, brisk walking, and gardening. Jogging, playing soccer, and swimming laps are more vigorous activities. They can be enjoyed instead of or in addition to activities that are less intense. Choosing some muscle-strengthening activities, such as climbing and lifting weights, is also important. Adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Children and teens need at least 60 minutes of activity per day. Spending more time or choosing more intense activities can give added health benefi ts. For many people, becoming more active means limiting screen time and other forms of inactivity. Some activity is better than no activity. People who are not already active can begin with short activity periods a few days a week. Choosing fun activities they can enjoy with others will encourage them to stay active. Then they can slowly build up the amount of activity they choose. ©iStock.com/CREATISTA Dance benefits your health in many ways including improved strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and bone health.