Apples are a Healthy Snack

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Producer: Sarah Hughes

Host Intro:

KGNU is spending time with students and teachers at Ashley Elementary School in Denver this semester.  We are exploring nutrition and healthy eating.  Sometimes it can be challenging to know how to eat healthy.  The students and teachers at Ashley Elementary School in Denver have a lot of questions about what is healthy and what is not healthy.  KGNU asked the representative of an expert– named Dr. Carrot– to help answers their questions.

Dr. Carrot: Hi, I’m Dr. Carrot, and I am a nutrition expert.  I’m excited to hear questions about health and nutrition from the students and teachers of Ashley Elementary School.  Let’s start with a question from a 5th grade teacher…

Question 1#:  Hi, I’m  Ms Coburn a 5th grade teacher here at Ashley School and I have a question for Dr Carrot. Dr Carro,t I am concerned about artery blockage because of genetics in my family- what healthy foods can I eat so that I don’t have clogged arteries?

Dr. Carrot: Ms. Coburn its great that you are interested in keeping your body healthy!  There are a lot of foods that are good for your heart.  Fish and nuts have low amounts of saturated fat and higher amounts of unsaturated fats, which are better for your brain and your circulatory system.  Foods that have little or no cholesterol and more fiber are important to eat too.  Fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains match that perfectly.  But remember to be careful how much salt you eat and try to limit the table salt you use!

Questions #2: Dr. Carrot, I have a question.. are oranges good for you?  (1st grader)

Dr. Carrot: Oranges are GREAT for you!  They have so much Vitamin C that by eating an orange your body is ready to fight off any germ that comes its way. Also when you eat an orange you get a lot of fiber and water that helps your digestive system work wonders.

Question #3: Dr. Carrot, I like miracle whip mayonnaise– is it the best mayonnaise for me?  (1st grader)

Dr. Carrot: Miracle Whip Mayonnaise has a little less fat then regular Mayonnaise and also has sugar.  Regular Mayonnaise is not typically made with sugar.  Both types are classified as a fat and shouldn’t be used to much.  So eat and enjoy but eat only a little bit.

Question #4: Dr Carrot I have a question– how much sugar is in Fruity Pebbles cereal? (1st grader)

Dr. Carrot: According to Fruity Pebbles website each serving of fruity pebbles has 11 grams of sugar, which is almost two and half teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Question #6: Hey, this is Mr. Walters Dr. Carrot.  I am a teacher at Ashley Elementary School, and I have a question… I heard that high fructose corn syrup is good for you because it’s made out of corn– Is that true?

Dr. Carrot: Mr. Walters, I have to be honest.  In my humble opinion High Fructose Corn Syrup is the worst ingredient in most processed food.  It resembles very little of its original corn form including its nutrient levels.  Quite a few studies have shown links between the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and obesity.

Question # 7: This question for Dr. Carrot and my name is Jose Cruz. Do you know is it true that granola bars are healthy?

Dr. Carrot: Hey there, Jose.  The best way to see a granola bar is healthy is to read the label.  Check the serving size, calories, percent fat, sugar and the ingredients.  Compare Granola bars to each while your at the store and pick the one with lowest numbers.

Question #9: Hi my name is Guadalupe and these are my questions for Dr. Carrot. My first questions is–
how healthy is white bread?

Dr. Carrot: Hi Guadalupe – White Bread is made from wheat flour just like whole wheat bread.  But in order to make white bread you have to remove the bran and germ from the wheat kernel. Unfortunately, almost all of the good nutrients are stored in the bran and the germ of the wheat kernel and by removing those parts you loose a lot of the nutrients!
So I would say that the HEALTHIER choice is to select whole wheat bread.

Question # 10: And my second question is, what is the healthiest junk food?

Dr. Carrot: I would say that eating junk food is eating junk food and that the healthiest junk food doesn’t exist.
Well, it’s been so much fun answering your questions. I love that you are all spending the time to think about how to keep your bodies healthy!

This is Dr. Carrot….. signing off.