The Sassy 6 have taken control of the Reshaping Coles “Biggest Loser” contest by leading in all three categories in the EIU division for the past two weeks.

With a total of 2,253 points in fruits and vegetables, each Sassy 6 teammate has been eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. According to the food pyramid, people should eat three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits every day. By eating 10 servings a day, the Sassy 6 is leading a healthy lifestyle, which is the goal of the program.

“I rather eat fruits and vegetables instead of sweets,” said Carol Roberts, teammate of the Sassy 6. “Don’t get me wrong, I love eating sweets, but I feel better after eating fruits.”

Getting in fruits and vegetables does not mean just eating a raw carrot or apple. Instead, a serving can include three-fourths of a cup of fruit or vegetable juice, or half a cup of canned fruits or vegetables. However, when drinking juice, one should make sure it’s 100 percent pasteurized fruit juice and not just a fruit drink.

A problem may occur when going out to a restaurant where portions are bigger. A large baked potato that may accompany a steak, around seven ounces, is actually three servings of vegetables. Sometimes, one portion of a meal from a restaurant can fulfill a daily requirement.

“If you are eating a six-ounce steak, you are meeting your full requirements of meats,” said Jennifer Taber, nutrient education coordinator.

Many current fad diets include increasing meat intake. Roberts has somewhat followed this diet by increasing her fruits and vegetables and not eating as many starches and carbohydrates.

The food pyramid suggest only eating two to three servings daily of meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts, which is only two to three ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish. This can be compared to the palm of a hand or deck of cards. When dieting, it is okay to cut back on certain food groups as long as the diet is still balanced, Taber said. By limiting a food group, such as fruits, a person is limiting vitamins and minerals that come from different foods.