Healthy diets should contain diverse foods. Nutrition guide in developed countries is reviewed every five years.
“We consume lots of sugar and extra fat from the top of the table and plates filled with pasta and other pure beans from the bottom of the table. Unfortunately, we choose vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairies and other nutrition from the middle of the nutrition list.” Judy Putnam, the agriculture economist in Washington DC states.
1. Use all food groups. The meals should contain all food groups appropriately.
2. A ternary basis of healthy foods containing vegetables, fruits and all grains should be equally used.
3. Prepare a framework for healthy fats. Each channel suggests harmful fats at minimum amount. Unsaturated plants or grains such as olive and canola (also nut oil) are beneficial, while considered as other sources of oil.
4. Provide a specific position for beans, peas and soya. These are whole foods rich in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin B, minerals and carbons that keep blood sugar at low level and keep you full.
5. Leave potatoes aside. Potatoes are rich in vegetables, but according to nutritional principles potatoes are more like breads than spinaches. Therefore, they would be better placed in grains group.
6. Put the foods without much nutritional value in appropriate positions. For example the fatty parts of meat, sausages, fried chicken or chicken with skin, high fat ice-creams as well as extra oils such as butter and sweet foods like cakes and sodas.
7. Make the best choice. Dr. Marion Nestlé, a nutritionist at New York University believes that some foods in a group are higher in nutritional value compared to others. For example the best kind and amount of grains should be chosen. It should be noted that all grains decrease the risk of chronic diseases, while foods containing refined wheat are neglected. There is no prohibition on the use of white breads, pastas and potatoes (without skin) but try using these grains for half of your meals, including: wheat breads, brown rice, corn breads, grits, wild oats, oats and even popcorn.
