News 9 speaks to registered dietitian on choosing the right foods to keep your body and mind strong

COST TO BE AS MUCH AS $50 BILLION. ONE THING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS AND IN THE HEADLINES IS HEALTH AND CHOOSING THE RIGHT FOODS THAT KEEP YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND STRONG. SO WE DECIDED TO BRING IN AN EXPERT TO GIVE US SOME ADVICE. JOINING US TODAY ON DAYBREAK IS ELIZABETH WHITE, A REGISTERED DIETITIAN AT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. NOW THAT STUDENTS ARE BACK IN THE SWING OF SCHOOL. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE BACK FROM VACATIONS. THERE’S A CHANCE THAT THE FLU AND OTHER DISEASES AND ILLNESSES ARE STILL GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW. WHAT ARE SOME FOODS THAT EVERYONE CAN OR SHOULD EAT TO HELP GIVE THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM A BOOST AND STAY AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE? YEAH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SO AS FAR AS GOOD LIKE GOOD IMMUNITY, THERE’S NO ONE SPECIFIC VITAMIN OR MINERAL THAT CAN REALLY BE PLAY A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE THAN THE OTHER ONE. IT’S ALL ABOUT GETTING A VARIETY. SO WE HAVE THE SAYING IN NUTRITION THAT YOU SHOULD BE EATING YOUR RAINBOW BECAUSE IT’S ALL THE DIFFERENT NUTRIENTS THAT MAKE UP THE DIFFERENT COLORS THAT HELP US BE HEALTHY. THERE’S LYCOPENE, THERE’S THERE’S BETA CAROTENE, AND EACH DIFFERENT COLOR IS A DIFFERENT NUTRIENT. AND WE NEED ALL OF THEM. WE NEED THE REDS, THE ORANGES, THE YELLOWS, THE GREENS, THE THE WHITES. WE NEED ALL OF THEM. ELIZABETH, IT’S NICE TO HEAR YOU SAY EAT THE RAINBOW, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I ALWAYS USED TO TELL MY KIDS. SO IT’S GOOD TO GET IT CONFIRMED BY SOMEBODY OFFICIAL LIKE YOURSELF. NOW MOVING ON. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS THREATENING TO CRACK DOWN ON SOME OF THE MORE SUGARY DRINKS THAT PEOPLE CONSUME FROM COFFEE SHOPS LIKE DUNKIN AND STARBUCKS. SOME FAVORITES, I KNOW, AND THIS IS BIG NEWS FOR NEW ENGLANDERS. I WONDER IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHAT HEALTH RISKS THAT HAVING THESE TYPES OF SUGARY DRINKS IN YOUR DIET COULD POSE. YEAH, SO REGULAR, REGULARLY EATING A LOT OF SUGAR CAN RESULT IN WEIGHT GAIN, CAVITIES, HEART DISEASE, FATTY LIVER DISEASE, AND TYPE TWO DIABETES. AND I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE SUGARS AND ON AVERAGE, SOME OF THOSE SUGARY DRINKS HAVE ABOUT 80G OF SUGAR IN THEM. THE HIGHEST ONE THAT I SAW WAS 172G OF SUGAR IN IT. NOW, JUST TO PUT THAT INTO SOME PERSPECTIVE, FOUR GRAMS IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE TEASPOON OF SUGAR. SO THAT MEANS ON AVERAGE THERE’S 20 TEASPOONS OF SUGAR IN THOSE DRINKS. AND ON THE AVERAGE ONES, WHICH IS ABOUT. SO THERE’S 24 TEASPOONS AND A HALF A CUP. SO EACH ONE OF THOSE HAS ABOUT A HALF A CUP OF SUGAR IN IT. THAT BIG ONE WITH A 72G OF SUGAR THAT HAS 43 TEASPOONS, WHICH IS CLOSE TO A CUP, SEEMS EXCESSIVE TO ME. IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT FOR SURE. AND I THINK ONE BIG QUESTION THAT MANY SHOPPERS HAVE IS YOU GO INTO THE GROCERY STORE AND IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING. SO ANYTHING TO HELP SHOPPERS WHEN YOU WALK IN AND YOU WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO I BUY? WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING OUT FOR ON THE SHELVES AND ON THE LABELS? YEAH. SO AS FAR AS THAT GOES, I MEAN, AS A NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL, WE DON’T LIKE TO LABEL FOODS AS GOOD OR BAD. WE JUST REALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT FOODS AS FOODS THAT HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS, OR FOODS THAT DON’T HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS. BUT IF THERE WAS ONE SPECIFIC THING TO LOOK AT ON A LABEL, I MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THE SUGAR. THE ADDED SUGAR IN IT. JUST BECAUSE ADDED SUGAR DOESN’T OFFER ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN CALORIES. THERE’S NO VITAMINS, THERE’S NO MINERALS, THERE’S NO THERE’S NOT EVEN ANY ANY EXCESS WATER TO HELP WITH THAT. THERE’S NO FIBER. THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THING I WOULD LOOK FOR IS THE AMOUNT OF ADDED SUGAR. ALL RIGHT. DITCH THAT ADDED SUGAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US

Updated: 1:51 PM EST Mar 7, 2026

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News 9 spoke to registered dietitian Elizabeth White on choosing the right foods that keep both your mind and body strong.

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

News 9 spoke to registered dietitian Elizabeth White on choosing the right foods that keep both your mind and body strong.