Skip to Main Content
jicama

What's in it for me?

While eating lunch with a co-worker, I asked if she had ever tasted a jicama.  She replied, “no”.  So I offered her a taste of one from my lunch.  She looked at the slice of jicama, tasted it and then said, “It tastes ok, but what is in it for me?” I explained that as a vegetable, it will have some minerals, vitamins, and fiber.

Later as I thought about this conversation, I wondered if anyone ever asked that question before eating a piece of candy or a dessert.  Usually, the response to a new sweet is, “where did you buy it” or “is it easy to bake” or “where did you find the recipe?”

In nutrition, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, dairy products, beef, poultry, pork, or seafood are called nutrient rich.  This means that for the investment in calories, they have a return on the investment with protein, carbohydrate, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

(Visit the website: www.nutrientrichfoods.org to find more information on nutrient rich foods)

Candy, cakes, donuts, cookies, brownies, pies etc. are called nutrient poor and calorie rich.  They are called empty calories and don’t provide much for your calorie investment.

So the thought from this story is: when thinking about eating dessert, ask yourself, “Is it worth the calories”?  Or as my friend said, “What’s in it for me”?

 

CHI Health Food and Nutrition Services Team
CHI Health Food and Nutrition Services Team

These blogs are written by members of the CHI Health Nutrition Services team.

Related Articles

6 Healthy Halloween Tricks for Treats

SEP 16, 2024

Eating a good meal before trick or treating, planning a costume party, and keeping an eye on candy consumption are just a few tricks for a healthier Halloween.

Read More

Fall Vaccines Fight 3 Viruses

SEP 04, 2024

We encourage all to get their flu and other vaccinations each year to avoid these and secondary issues or even hospitalization.

Read More

Questions Your Provider Wants You to Ask

AUG 22, 2024

If you’ve ever hesitated to ask your doctor a question because you were embarrassed or unsure, you’re not alone.

Read More