Classes help make sense of nutritional guidelines to plan healthful meals

When did the simple act of eating get so complicated? When did what we eat become more about health and less about flavor?

Maybe it was when we stopped doing physical labor from dawn to dusk and discovered we were taking in more calories than we were using. Maybe it was when we began to discover that food does play a real role in health, that too much of the wrong things can lead to obesity, heart problems, high blood pressure and more.

According to a report released by First Lady Michelle Obama's Take Force on Childhood Obesity, about one out of every three children and teens is overweight or at risk of being overweight. Further, an estimated 75 percent of Americans will be overweight or obese by 2019.

Food has become not only a health issue, but also a social, economic and political one.

You hear a lot of conflicting reports, and sometimes it's hard to know what to believe about the food you eat, says Melanie Jewkes, assistant professor, Utah State University Extension with Salt Lake County. "But there are ways to simplify your choices and feel good about food again."

USU Extension is currently working with two programs geared toward helping people understand and implement simple, sound nutrition practices.

The first is a program called Food $ense, which offers individual or family instruction at home or for small groups, and is offered free of charge to those who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (formerly Food Stamps).

Low-income families often face nutrition challenges, says Jewkes. "They see hamburgers for 99 cents, and think that it cheaper than eating healthy meals. They may see that a bag of potato chips is cheaper than a bag of grapes, but not think of long-term consequences. Many immigrant families are not as familiar with local food culture. But there are simple ways to stretch food dollars nutritionally."

A second nutrition education program is a five-part series focusing on the USDA's "MyPyramid" Dietary Guidelines.

Every five years, the USDA reviews and tweaks its nutritional guidelines. The latest revision is an updated version of the Food Pyramid. If you are used to seeing blocks that get smaller and smaller toward the top of the pyramid, you will now see varying widths of colored bands, with steps running up the side, to indicate a greater need for exercise. (For more information, go to www.mypyramid.gov.)