Test your nutrition knowledgeWith National Nutrition Month headed our way in March, here's a quiz to see how well we understand basics of nutrition identified by current research in the just-released 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans:

1. The reason we have become super-sized Americans is because: a) our food is full of toxins; b) we ride when we should walk; c) we eat oversized portions.

2. According to food intake surveys, the three main sources of calories among U.S. children and teens are: a) juice, pasta and French fries; b) cookies (and other grain-based desserts), pizza and soda; c) peanut butter, jelly and hot Cheetos.

3. A calorie is: a) a secret ingredient put into food to make us want to exercise; b) a unit of energy found in fat, protein, carbohydrates and alcohol; c) stored in the body as fat if it is not burned for energy.

4. Excess calories are burned off the body when we: a) walk instead of ride; b) skip that extra snack or drink; c) use a blowtorch.

5. People who increase their intake of vegetables and/or fruits may: a) protect themselves from gaining weight; b) leap over tall buildings in a single bound; c) lower their risk for cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

6. Americans eat too much: a) sodium (salt); b) saturated fat; c) in general.

7. Americans get most of their saturated fat from: a) watching television commercials; b) cheese and pizza; c) too much lotion.

8. The best way to lose weight is to eat: a) only meat and vegetables but no grains like a caveman: b) only grains and vegetables but no meat like a vegan; c) fewer calories without compromising needed nutrients.

Answers: 1) c; 2) b; 3) b and c; 4) a,b; 5) a, c; 6) a,b,c; 7) b.; 8: c.

MONTEREY (CALIF.) COUNTY HERALD