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Making the Most of Your Healing Bag

Use these tips to make the most of your healing bag.

Read the food label on the foods in your bag

1. Serving Size-

Check how many servings are in the item. All of the information on the food label is based on the serving size.
Remember most foods have more than 1 serving per container.

2. Calories -

Be mindful of how many calories are in a serving. If you eat more than one serving, you will eat more calories.

3. Nutrients -

Do not eat more than 22g of saturated fat per day.
Pick items with less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
Look for foods with 3 grams of fiber or more per serving.
Limit added sugar to less than 25 grams per day. Sugar can have many names. See the list below to learn some of them.

4. Vitamins and Minerals-

Be mindful of the vitamins and minerals in different foods.

Look for sugar (it has many names)

There are many names for sugar on a Nutrition Facts label. If you see these items in the ingredients list, the food item has sugar.

Agave Nectar	Corn Sweetener	Fruit Juice Concentrate	Invert Sugar	Molasses
Barley Malt	Date Sugar	Galactose	Lactose	Raw Sugar
Beet Sugar	Dextrose	Glucose	Malt Syrup	Rice Syrup
Brown Sugar	Evaporated Cane Juice	High Fructose Corn Syrup	Maltose	Sucrose
Cane Crystals	Fructose	Honey	Maple Syrup	Xylose

Use your hand to help with serving size


1 tablespoon is about the size of your thumb	2-3 ounces is about the size of the palm of your hand	1 cup is about the size of your fist	1/2 cup is about the size of your cupped hand

Use these cooking tips for using the foods in your healing bag

Use canned and dried foods to save time making meals.
Drain and rinse canned foods. This will reduce the amount of sodium or salt.
- Do this with canned fruit if not packaged in water or juice to reduce the amount of sugar.
Add canned chili beans, green chilies, and other vegetables to casseroles, salads, stews, and stir-fry for a flavor burst.
Add tomatoes and tomato products to one-pot, skillet meals, and stir-fry.
Use canned fruit in salads, cereals, and fruit desserts.
Follow the instructions on the box for making whole wheat pasta and brown rice, since they use more water than white pasta or rice.
Fix foods in a slow cooker if it is easier for you. If you use a slow cooker use these tips:
- chop vegetables the same size for even cooking
- trim fats from meats
- wait until the last 30 minutes of cooking to add leafy greens, fresh herbs, cooked rice or pasta, and dairy products

Keep in mind: Unless your doctor tells you not to eat foods that are past the date on the package, the foods in your healing bag are safe to eat after this date. This is because these items have been prepared and stored in a safe way.