You eat fruits and vegetables as often as you can, and usually drink water throughout the day (okay, except for those caffeine fixes). But are you as nutrition-smart as you think you are? Take our quiz and see what you need to know to keep your family healthy. 
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
Q You want to indulge at brunch with something delicious. Which option won't ruin your fat and calorie budget for the day?
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
A Pancakes Both the omelet and the bacon and eggs are high in calories and saturated fat. The news isn't so great on French toast, either -- three pieces contain about 450 calories. But three standard four-inch pancakes are about 200 calories. Skip the butter and typical quarter cup of syrup (which together tack on another 300 calories). Instead, get syrup on the side and pour on just a little or use it as a dip. Next Question!
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
Q Which vegetable is highest in disease-fighting phytochemicals?
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
A Kale Kale tops the list, says Cynthia Sass, author of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. Phytochemicals are crucial because they reduce your risk for all kinds of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. Among fruits, the highest in phytochemicals are: Q When you're craving chocolate, the healthiest choice is: A One-quarter cup of semisweet or dark chocolate chips For just 140 calories, you get not only a chocolate candy fix but also a dose of antioxidants. That's because dark and semisweet chocolate are both higher in antioxidants than milk chocolate. Skip the brownie -- a small one that you could demolish in two bites has 200 or more calories. A small slice of cake has almost 300 calories (without frosting), and the half cup of ice cream can set you back 250 calories. And let's face it: Who stops at half a cup? Q When pumping breast milk at work, what's the best way to store it? [ANSWER {In the office fridge or In the office freezer Like any perishable food, breast milk shouldn't be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. So your best bet is to store it in the fridge at work, provided it's set at 40 degrees or lower. Just keep in mind that since breast milk is a combination of fats, protein, and carbohydrates, it may separate while it's in the refrigerator, so you'll need to shake it vigorously before giving it to your baby. Q Considering the mercury and PCB contamination in seafood, which of these is the best choice to eat? ANSWER Catfish Avoid swordfish, tilefish, and shark (along with king mackerel), since they contain high levels of mercury, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Catfish, however, ha a low level of contaminants, as do farmed trout, shrimp, canned light tuna (not canned albacore tuna) pollock, and wild and canned salmon (but not farm-raised salmon). Experts recommend that you eat up to 12 ounces per week -- which is about two servings -- of these safer kinds of seafood. Q You know that folic acid is important during pregnancy (it reduces the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects). But did you know that consuming enough of this B vitamin may also: A Reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, lower your level of homocysteine, and reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. This vitamin, also called "folacin" or "folate," is crucial in many ways. To reap its benefits, take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid (at least 600 micrograms if you're pregnant) or be sure to eat those folate-rich foods: spinach, oranges, grapefruit, and vitamin-fortified cereals and whole grains. Q To get the most nutritional benefit possible from lycopene (a substance found in tomatoes that may offer some protection from certain types of cancer), you should eat: A Spaghetti with marinara sauce To maximize the benefits of lycopene, the tomatoes should be cooked or processed, as they are in tomato sauce. And if you're making tomato sauce from scratch, don't feel guilty about that drizzle of olive oil. Fat helps your body absorb lycopene, says Althea Zanecosky, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Q Which of these foods contains the highest amount of calcium? A Canned Salmon Yes, we wish it were ice cream, too! But canned salmon has the most calcium, with 180 milligrams per three-ounce portion. Parmesan cheese has 140 milligrams of calcium per two tablespoons, ice cream has 85 milligrams in a half cup, and cottage cheese has 75 milligrams per half cup. our body needs 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. Q Which of these cheeses should you avoid while you're pregnant? A Unpasteurized Brie You should skip all unpasteurized cheeses during pregnancy because of the risk of a bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes, which can be harmful to a developing fetus, says Lisa Tartamells-Kimmel, director of outpatient nutrition at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Many soft cheeses (such as brie, camembert, feta, and the blue-veined varieties) tend to be unpasteurized -- but not always. How to tell? If the cheese's label says it's made with pasteurized milk, you're in the clear. When you're not sure of a particular type of cheese, take a pass. Q Which of these should always be washed before you eat them? A Apples and grapes, Carrots and cucumbers, and Bananas and oranges. To prevent the spread of food-borne bacteria, wash all veggies and fruits -- even those with heavy peels like oranges and bananas (it may sound nutty, but if you want to play it safe, give your banana a rinse!) Fruit peels can carry bacteria that may spread during eating, cutting, or peeling. But there's no need to wash with special soaps -- a thorough washing under cold running water should suffice. Q To reduce your family's exposure to contaminants in tap water, it's best to: ANSWER Use cold tap water for drinking and cooking. Most lead comes from your pipes, not the water supply, and hot water picks up lead from pipes more easily than cold water does -- so use cold for drinking and cooking. Also, reduce exposure to contaminants by running cold water until it becomes as cold as it will get. This will clear out standing water what may have accumulated lead. Q Which of these sandwiches has the most nutrition and the fewest calories? A Roast Beef "Most people think the red-meat choice is always higher in fat and calories than chicken, but that's not necessarily true," says Tartamella-Kimmel. "If you make a sandwich with two ounces of lean roast beef, add mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes, that's only about 350 calories." Skip the chicken Caesar wrap (600 calories), the grilled cheese (540 calories), and the BLT (500 calories).
Blueberries and blackberries
Strawberries
Plums
Oranges
Red grapes
Cherries
Kiwis
Pink Grapefruit
Green and white grapesNext Question!
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
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If you decide to freeze breast milk, always defrost it in the refrigerator (don't use a microwave -- it'll heat unevenly). Once breast milk is defrosted, it should be used within 24 hours and never refrozen.}]Next Question!
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
The best way to reduce the level of contaminants in your seafood: Remove the skin before eating, says Caroline Smith DeWaal, the food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, DC. Also, when you grill or broil the fillets, let the juices drip away.Next Question!
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To learn more about your water -- or to get it tested -- call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.Next Question!
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What's Your Nutrition I.Q.?
For a printable guide to the calories, portions, and nutrients you and your kids need daily, visit "Parenting.com/foodguide.
