Ketchup is a vegetable, right?

By ThreeSixty contributors and Suzy Sorensen, nutritionist

Suzy Sorensen, a nutritionist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota gave two teens advice about how they eat. Photo courtesy of Sorensen.

"For your age, the goal is to eat 5-7 fruit and vegetable helpings each day." -- Suzy Sorensen

Nice try. Ketchup does not count as a vegetable. Two courageous teens tracked their diets for three days in a food journal and turned them into a nutritionist to see how well they are eating.

Suzy Sorensen, a nutritionist for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, gave them feedback and advice. See how they did:

Jeremiah, 15, of Minneapolis, has high blood pressure.
Suzy says: If someone is trying to improve their blood pressure, there are two main things they can do with their food choices to help. One strategy is to limit salt intake, the other is to increase fruit and vegetable intake. Salt doesn’t just mean the salt shaker; certain foods are pretty high in salt, including most sauces, soups, canned goods, processed meats, and cheese.

Sinthia eats a good variety of food.
Suzy says: For your age, the goal is to eat 5-7 fruit and vegetable helpings each day. I see some beans, salad, and fruit in your journal — a great start! Maybe you could add in a fresh fruit as an afternoon snack? Remember, only 4 oz of juice daily is recommended and can count as one fruit serving.