Health Zone

Choose your zone!

A program developed to help you determine foods that are
low calorie,
low carbohydrate
or low fat

Choosing healthy eating is important for good health and weight maintenance and to provide for optimum energy and brain function.

The Health Zone program was developed to make choosing foods that match your lifestyle and weight goals easy through a color-coded food labeling system.

Developed by Residence Halls Dining Service, this program is based on information from the Institute of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration, USDA Food Guidelines, and other health and nutrition sources. Foods must meet the following standards to be considered:
           •Low Fat -- foods with 3 grams or less of fat per item
           •Low Calorie -- fruits, vegetables, sidedishes and breads with 100 calories
            or less per serving or main dishes with 250 calories or less
           •Low Carbohydrate -- foods with 11 grams per 100 gram serving or less

These standards are based on healthy lifestyle, which is considered essential for maintaining good health for most people of college age. (Before adopting any changes in food choices, consult with your physician or medical professional. The information presented here is considered an estimate and should not be used by persons with critical medical needs.)

Counting Calories

A "calorie" is the basic unit of energy we get from the food we eat. Carbohydrates, fat and protein, give us the nutrients to provide energy. Other nutrients, like water, vitamins, minerals, fiber and cholesterol, do not provide calories. Some foods have many calories without much nutrition, like sweets, while some contain high amounts of needed nutrients in low calorie packaging, such as fruits and vegetables.

When we take in more energy from food then we use, our bodies store the energy as fat and cause weight gain. The best way to control weight is to make sure we use the energy we eat through exercise. Exercising regularly has other benefits than controlling our weight, like keeping bones and muscles strong, keeping our hearts and lungs in healthy condition, and releasing hormones to help us feel good.

Choose foods labeled with the purple labels for low calorie choices.

To learn your recommended daily caloric intake as well as other information about calories, review
the Calories: Food, Exercise and Weight brochure in the brochure rack located in your favorite dining service.

Play It Smart With Carbs

For good health, foods containing carbohydrates (carbs) should make up 45-65% of our diet, according to the Institute of Medicine. Most people should consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, considered to be the minimum amount needed to produce enough glucose for the brain to function, or about 45 grams of carbohydrates per meal.

Many popular diets suggest eating very low carbs by limiting or omitting potatoes, corn, rice, pasta, fruits, breads, desserts, candy, pastries, pie, cake and other high carb foods, but this could put your body at risk of developing health problems. Foods generally low in carbs include meat, fish, poultry, cheese and eggs. Before adopting this type of meal plan, determine how carbs fit into your daily diet to ensure that you are eating enough (or not too many) for your personal good health.

Low carb choices are designated by the green labels.

To learn more about carbohydrates, read the Carb Smarts brochure in the brochure rack located in your favorite dining service.

Do We Need Fat?

According to the Institute of Medicine, fat should consist of 20-35% of the daily diet. This range along with carbohydrates and protein, was determined after numerous studies showed that eating too much or too little of these nutrients raised the risk for dietary deficiency diseases, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The minimum amount of fat needed in a meal plan of 1,300 calories is 30-50 grams, while in a 2,000 calorie diet the amount of fat needed would be 45-75 grams.

Fat does play an important role in our bodies. It can help provide daily energy needs and maintain normal cell function, as well as protect the body when stored during times of illness and trauma. It is also needed to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K), as well as keep foods moist and flavorful.

Choose the foods labeled with the red labels for low fat choices.

To learn more about fat, check out the Fat for Life brochure in the brochure rack located in your favorite dining service.

Before adopting any changes in food choices, contact a physician or medical professional. The information presented here is considered an estimate and should not be used by persons with critical medical needs.

The information presented here, correct at the time of publication, is subject to change. Ball State University practices equal opportunity in education and employment and is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community.