It is no secret that most Americans
have too much fat in their diet. Why? Well, fat
(and sweet) tastes good to people.
We live in a culture that surrounds us
with prepared foods, from chips and chocolate, to fast
food restaurants and frozen entrees. Recipes for these
foods are painstakingly researched for taste, texture,
and potential for repeat purchasing. And guess what?
Taste tests show that higher fat
(and sweet) sells!
Bombarded with ads, salty snacks and
fast food becomes the norm.
USDA dietary guidelines
urge us to get no more than 30% of our daily calories
from fat. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. If
you total between 1600 and 2200 calories a day, the
guidelines recommend fewer than between 480 and 660
calories from fat. In grams, that’s between 53 and 73
grams of fat per day, max.
So, what’s the answer? Is a donut
unhealthy? No, not if your total fat intake is less
than the recommendations.
Unhealthy eating doesn’t
necessarily start with donuts. Unhealthy eating builds
from morning coffee with half and half, a lunch of roast
beef sub with mayo, a bag of chips and cookies, and
burger and fries for dinner.
At the worksite, what
is healthy and what is unhealthy eating can be left
up to the individual. Perhaps someone will base
their judgement on what else they have eaten, or plan
to eat during the rest of the day, or rest of the week.
Because of this,
it is important to have choices available when
food is served. That way, if someone has had or is planning
to have "their donut" at another time, they
have an alternative choice now.
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