The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently announced a partnership with NuVal, a nutritional scoring system that guides consumers to more nutritious food choices by helping them better understand nutrition labels. ACE’s goal is to help create a healthier lifestyle for Americans by teaching them not only the importance of being active but also how to make healthier food choices. Here are their top diet tips to help improve your life.
Exercise is only part of the healthy lifestyle equation
“ACE is devoted to educating consumers about the critical need to engage in at least a moderate level of physical activity on a regular basis,” says Scott Goudeseune, ACE president and CEO. “But we also know that leading an active lifestyle is only one part of our mission to make healthy living an integral part of our society.” ACE seeks to educate people about how easy it is to choose foods with better overall nutrition by using the NuVal scoring system. The NuVal program ranks foods from 1 to 100 based on their overall nutrition quality – the higher the score, the higher the nutrition.
Online tools to get savvy on healthy foods
The ACEGet Fit™ website is the best place for tips, tools and to see the NuVal system in action. The Get Fit website provides comparisons of different types of foods including chips, fruit snacks and beverages, and highlights the NuVal score of each item. The site also features “Nutrition By The Numbers,” a game that tests consumers’ knowledge of how different foods rank in the NuVal scoring system.
Three ways to sync diet and exercise
Combining fitness and nutrition is essential when it comes to healthy living, so ACE and NuVal suggest three important tips to help prepare and stay motivated for a workout:
- Don’t skip breakfast. Start the day with a healthy meal packed with whole grains and fruit. A bowl of cereal with a banana or blueberries makes the perfect breakfast before exercising. A banana receives a NuVal score of 91 and blueberries receive a NuVal score of 100.
- Enjoy a sustained energy boost. An apple is the perfect pre-workout snack and receives a NuVal score of 96. Add unsalted walnuts, which receive a NuVal score of 82, for some fat and protein.
- Stay hydrated and limit – or eliminate – caffeine. Be sure to drink water throughout the day, especially before, during and after a workout. And skip the soda! Most regular sodas have a NuVal score of 1 – the lowest possible score.
Look for NuVal at your local supermarket for the healthiest foods
The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System can be found in participating grocery stores including Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Brookshire’s, Big Y, Skogen’s/Festival Foods and United Supermarkets stores with more stores participating every month. The score for food products are posted on shelf tags next to the product price and on in-store signage.
More diet and fitness tips
- Jamie Oliver’s healthy grocery shopping tips
- Tips for choosing healthy foods
- How to eat and exercise to lose weight
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