Bread is the pillar of life. After solving the problem of food and clothing, people pay more and more attention to the mystery hidden in various foods. In order to get more nutrition from daily diet or change their own health problems, people are increasingly picky and demanding about food, because every penny is very important to us and directly affects human health.
Twenty years ago, the United States Department of Agriculture began to build a daily food pyramid based on American dietary guidelines. At the beginning of this year, a new version of the food pyramid was launched, which corrected some omissions in the past. It is reported that the builders of the pyramids include scientists, nutritionists, staff and consultants. According to the most scientific evidence and the relationship between food and health, experts from Harvard University School of Public Health have established a new pyramid of healthy eating. It fixes the basic loophole in the food pyramid of USDA and puts forward better suggestions on what to eat.
The pyramid of healthy eating is based on daily exercise and weight control, because these two factors are very important for people to stay healthy. They also affect what people eat and how they eat, and how the food people eat affects their health. Looking up from the bottom of the pyramid of healthy eating, it includes:
Whole wheat food (in most diets)
The body needs carbohydrates to provide energy. The best source of carbohydrates is whole wheat, such as oatmeal, coarse bread and brown rice. They contain bran and germ, as well as energy-rich starch. It takes longer for the human body to digest whole wheat than direct carbohydrates such as white bread, which will keep blood sugar and insulin at a reasonable level and will soon drop. Controlling blood sugar and insulin levels can reduce human hunger and prevent the occurrence of type II diabetes.
Vegetable oil. Americans get 1/3 calories from fat every day on average, so it makes sense to put them in the lower part of the pyramid. Note that vegetable oil is specifically mentioned here, not all kinds of fats. Healthy unsaturated fats come from olives, soybeans, corn, sunflowers, peanuts and other vegetable oils, as well as fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats can not only improve human cholesterol levels, but also effectively prevent potential sudden cardiac death and myocardial infarction.
Vegetables (in large quantities) and fruits (2-3 times a day).
Eating more vegetables and fruits can effectively prevent heart disease and angina pectoris; Prevent all kinds of cancers; Lowering blood pressure; Relieve intestinal diseases called diverticulitis; Prevention and treatment of cataract and glaucoma, these two eye diseases are the main causes of blindness in the elderly over 65 years old.
Fish, poultry and eggs (0 ~ 2 times a day).
This is the main source of protein. A large number of studies show that eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease. Muscle and turkey are low in saturated fat, and they are also good sources of protein. Eggs have been demonized for a long time because of its high cholesterol content. In fact, eggs are a good breakfast, much better than doughnuts or flour doughnuts.
Nuts and beans with shells (65438+ 0 to 3 times a day).
Nuts and beans with shells are the best sources of plant protein, plant fiber, vitamins and minerals. Beans with shells include black beans, broad beans, edamame and other dry goods. Many nuts are rich in healthy fat. For example, almonds, walnuts, small walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts and pine nuts can directly show that food is good for the heart.
Dairy products and calcium replacement (65438+ 0 to 2 times a day).
In order to prevent and treat osteoporosis, calcium and vitamin D are needed, and dairy products are the traditional source of calcium for Americans. Besides foods containing saturated fat, such as milk and cheese, there are other healthy ways to get calcium. For example, three cups of whole milk are equivalent to the saturated fat contained in thirteen cooked bacon. If you like dairy products, stick to skim or low-fat products. If you don't like dairy products, calcium substitute food is the guarantee to ensure the daily calcium demand of human body.
Red meat and cream (use with care):
These foods are placed at the top of the pyramid of healthy eating because they are rich in saturated fat. If you eat red meat every day, such as beef and mutton, trying fish or chicken several times a week can improve your cholesterol level. Similarly, you can switch from cream to olive oil.
Rice, white bread, potatoes, pasta and desserts (with caution):
Why are all these staple foods of Americans placed at the top of the pyramid of healthy eating? Because they can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly, leading to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. Whole-wheat carbohydrates stabilize human blood sugar, at least increase slowly without exceeding the normal level of human body, so that human body can deal with excess blood sugar.
Multivitamins:
Daily multivitamin and mineral supplements are the nutritional reserves of the human body. The food we eat every day sometimes does not provide all the nutrients the human body needs every day. At this time, multivitamins can fill the nutritional gap, even for the most cautious diners. Please choose genuine multivitamins.
Alcohol (moderate amount):
Drinking a little wine every day can reduce the risk of heart disease. Moderate amount is very important. Alcohol is a double-edged sword, which has both disadvantages and advantages. For men, the balance point is to drink 1 to 2 cups a day, not draft beer cups. For women, one glass a day is enough.
The pyramid of healthy eating summarizes the best dietary information today. Not castles in the air, or keep pace with the times.
Yes, we all know the pyramid of diet, but we always think it is so dogmatic and conceptual that we don't know how to apply it in real life.
However, in the view of new nutritionists, the diet pyramid not only brings the most scientific nutrition choice and collocation for daily diet, but also brings us rich taste, interest and happiness. From now on, build your personal pyramid and follow the practical guide of pyramid to find endless fun in each group of food.
Practical guide to pyramids
In fact, you can find all kinds of food, such as ethnic food, fast food, snacks, snacks … all kinds of food. Foods with similar nutrients are grouped together, and they have similar effects on health. Each group of food provides some nutrition for the human body. If you want to meet all your nutritional needs, of course, every group of food is indispensable.
● Eat every day In order to obtain fiber, choose whole grain (whole wheat, corn, various grains and bran) foods every day, such as whole grain bread, whole grain cereal, bran flakes, oats, whole grain corn, whole grain bread and brown rice. The recommended amount is 3 servings per day.
● Be wary of eating grains containing a small amount of fat and added sugar. Most cereal products are low in fat and cholesterol, but beware of the following exceptions: croissants, crispy snacks, some biscuits, muffins and fried foods, such as doughnuts, fried rice and pot stickers. What provides fat in these foods is not bread, pasta or rice, but ingredients, additives or cooking methods that generate excessive calories.
Try to eat some unhealed grains, such as buckwheat, millet, amaranth or couscous, and eat cereal chowder, such as paella, pasta and corn paste.
● Occasionally eat salty biscuits and crispy fast food with a small amount of fat, such as popcorn, rice cakes, bread sticks, toast, pretzels, biscuits, etc.
You can also add cooked rice, rice and pasta to soup, stir-fry or other mixed dishes.
● Look for food labels and cereal with folic acid or other nutrients.
One cereal is equivalent to 1/2 cups of boiled rice or noodles, 3-4 small salty biscuits, 1 piece of whole wheat bread.
(Remarks: In the diet pyramid, the food intake is in units of "servings", and one serving is a cup, that is, the amount contained in the internationally unified measuring cup. )
● The daily intake of each group should be at least the lowest. If you don't exercise too much, choose food according to the minimum share.
● If supplements such as vitamins or minerals are added, the pyramid proposal has not changed. Because vitamins and minerals only supplement nutrition, they cannot replace the share in the food group. All healthy people should follow the pyramid food group guide first, and then follow the expert's advice, but the supplement should not exceed twice the recommended amount of a nutritious diet.
● Eat vegetables of various varieties and colors every day, because different vegetables provide different kinds and nutrients, fiber and other plant nutrients, and more varieties can be more beneficial to health.
Eat more dark green leafy vegetables and dark yellow vegetables, because they contain carotenoids that can form vitamin A in the human body. For example, in order to make salad more appetizing and nutritious, you can release more green vegetables such as cabbage and spinach. Want to get more fiber and keep the edible skin of vegetables, such as potatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.
● Enjoy choosing your favorite vegetables in larger quantities! Besides what you like, you can also expand the range of vegetables. You can try to eat some novel vegetables, such as cowhide, kale, beet, okra and various pumpkin vegetables.
You can also find ways to add vegetables to various foods, such as adding a few slices of zucchini, carrots and sweet peppers to pasta. Add tomatoes or cucumbers to the sandwich.
You can also put a plate of clean fresh vegetables in the refrigerator and eat them at any time.
It's also a good idea to try cooking vegetables with meat and beans.
Understand the pyramids comprehensively.
Function: diverse, balanced and appropriate
The diet pyramid conveys three messages of healthy eating:
● Eat more cereals, vegetables, meat and other foods to absorb the nutrients needed by the human body. No food can provide all the nutrients, fiber and other substances needed by the human body, and a variety of foods also add flavor, interest and happiness to three meals.
● Choose appropriate and sufficient food from all food groups in a balanced way every day, but don't eat too much food to get the nutrition and energy needed by the human body. Choose dosage according to age, sex and degree of exercise.
● Choose the right amount of food to maintain human energy, and don't eat too much saturated fat, cholesterol and added sugar. Proper diet helps the human body to reach or maintain a healthy weight and prevent health risks such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Food share: enough, but not too much.
The pyramid provides a range of shares, not a specific number. Can help you choose flexibly, meet your personal nutritional needs, and the calories and fat in food will not be excessive.
● The minimum amount of food in each group adds up to about 1600 calories, which just meets the needs of women who exercise less and some elderly people.
● The median share provides about 2,200 kilocalories, which can meet the needs of children, girls, active women and inactive men, and pregnant women or lactating women need a little more.
● The maximum share is suitable for young men, active men and athletes.
Choose a variety of meats and beans, such as lean meat, skinless poultry, fish and soybean milk.
● Fish eat fish two or three times a week.
● Share the size of meat and poultry meat. Usually, a serving of 1/4 is enough to cover the plate. Remember, you only need 150 ~ 2 10 grams a day, and it doesn't matter if the amount of meat or poultry is bigger occasionally.
● beans choose beans several times a week-such as dried beans, peas, lentils or tofu as the main course. You can try making vegetable tofu or bean soup.
● Egg replacement In order to control the consumption of cholesterol, eat egg yolk and whole eggs in moderation-if the cholesterol intake is kept below 300 mg per day, eat at most 1 egg per day, including eggs added during making and baking. Because egg white or egg substitutes contain no cholesterol and little fat, they can be eaten at will. In some dishes that need eggs, egg substitutes or egg whites can be used instead.
● Eat nuts in moderation, you can choose to join the dinner, and you can add a lot of tricks to three meals with just one hand. For example, stir-fried vegetarian dishes, casseroles, salads and pasta can be mixed with nuts; Or eat cereal at breakfast and lunch.
Sprinkle some nuts on the yogurt. Besides, it is also a good idea to replace snacks such as milk ice cream with nuts such as almonds and macadamia nuts.
Add milk foods rich in calcium to three meals and fast food in various ways: milk in breakfast cereal, cheese in sandwiches, yogurt, milk coffee or milk coffee. Cheese strips on soup or salad in western food.
● Choose dairy products rich in calcium when eating fast food, such as yogurt, milk and cheese pieces. Dessert is also a good choice. Try yogurt or pudding.
Low evaporated milk is added to coffee with evaporated milk instead of cream. Defatted condensed milk has creamy texture, but low fat content.
Low-fat yogurt uses ordinary, low-fat or fat-free yogurt and farm fresh milk cheese instead of cream.
● Early morning dairy products start with dairy products every morning: milk, yogurt or yogurt and fruit mixed drinks. Try skim milk as a drink.
If milk replacers don't eat dairy products, they should absorb calcium from calcium-added drinks (fruit juice and soybean drinks) and other non-dairy foods rich in calcium.
Build your own pyramid
It is divided into three steps, supplemented by table calculation, and helps you build the most reasonable diet pyramid every day with accurate data. The specific approach is:
Step 1: Write down the food and drinks in your dinner and snacks, including the share and location of the pyramid. (See table 1)
Step 2: roughly calculate the calorie intake with the calories needed for one day.
Step 3: Add up the amount of each group of food you eat in a day and compare it with the food listed on the pyramid. Remember, if your single serving of food is larger than the recommended amount, count it as multiple servings; If it is small, it is biased. (See Table 2)
● Vitamin C Fruits should consider fruits rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and berries.
● Canned fruits You can prepare some frozen canned fruits at hand and eat them at any time.
● Unusual Fruits Choose some uncommon fruits, such as papaya, fig and guava. taste
New varieties of apple, pear, plum or cantaloupe.
● Dried fruits Put some dried fruits at hand: raisins, dried apricots and oranges are relatively dry, so you can pack and carry them and chew them slowly. Note: the size of each dried fruit must be smaller than that of fresh fruit, because it contains no water and concentrates sugar and calories.
● Juice uses juice as a happy drink and can be mixed with soda water to make a refreshing carbonated drink.
● Fruit Mu Si In addition to fast food restaurants, you can also try to make fruit Mu Si at home-just use a blender to cut the fruit into pieces and juice it, then add yogurt or milk and mix well.
● Fruit dishes Add fruits to various dishes. Stir orange slices, grapes, berries and other fresh fruits with vegetables. Add mashed pineapple, raisins or chopped apples to shredded coleslaw. Sprinkle dried fruits on breakfast cereal, pudding or frozen yogurt. You can also mix stuffing and rice with dried fruits or make muffins and bread with dough.
● When salad juice is mixed with salad, the seasoning should be limited to 1 ~ 2 tablespoons, or low-fat and fat-free seasoning should be used.
● Eat less greasy or sugary smeared foods, such as sauces, toppings, gravy and sauces.
● When drinking coffee or tea, don't put sugar and milk less or less.
Step by step, five-step adjustment strategy
● It is much easier to gradually adjust food choices than to completely modify the whole diet plan at one time. Start with a meal, or adjust only one group of food for several months, and then gradually expand the adjustment range.
Choose food from five groups of foods every day, starting with a large number of basic foods such as grains, vegetables and fruits, and then choose some low-fat dairy products and lean meat or low-fat foods from meat and beans every day.
Take dinner as an example: it can be divided into four parts, three of which are vegetables, fruits and cereals, the fourth part is selected from meat and beans, and a glass of low-fat milk. )
● Eat in moderation and don't exclude a certain kind of food. Eat dinner and snacks alternately to ensure balance. As long as you eat less, it doesn't matter if you eat fat and sweets occasionally.
● Choose a variety of foods from five groups of foods, and boldly try new foods to increase the fun.
Think about your lifestyle, how much energy you need every day, and then get enough energy from each group.