What is a food group and how many are there? Is healthy oil still an oil with lots of calories? Are multigrain crackers a good source of whole grain? Asking yourself these questions and others? Struggling with finding a balance between managing your weight and eating healthy? I spent years wrestling with the same challenge. Now, I can cut through the confusion. This is an easy, breezy way I look at food and weight management. According to MyPyramid.gov, a tool from The Center of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (part of the USDA), there are 6 food groups now. They are: 1) Grains; 2) Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts; 3) Milk, Yogurt & Cheese; 4) Fats, Oils; 5) Vegetables; and 6) Fruits. Whole and refined grains are any food made from wheat, rice (wild, brown, white), oats, cornmeal, barley, or grain products (bread, pasta, grits, tortillas, popcorn and breakfast cereals). Beware of deceptive packaging with the words “made with whole grains” splashed across the front. In order to determine if a food is a “whole grain,” read the ingredients list. The first ingredient listed should be a whole grain. Meats, poultry, fish, nuts & beans are all great sources of protein. Here are some great ways to add more protein to your diet: snack on well-seasoned grilled chicken breast; sprinkle nuts on veggies and salads; keep cans of beans in the pantry for soup, salads, and side dishes; eat more tuna, shrimp, and fish; and snack on jerky - the real, natural variety. What constitutes a milk, yogurt, or cheese product? This category consists of all milk fluids and other milk products that retain their calcium content. Sorry, that means ice cream doesn’t count - not enough calcium or protein and all sugar! Note: Milk and milk products are not the only source of great calcium. Other good sources are spinach, leafy greens, dried beans, mineral supplements, canned fish with bones, soy beans, fortified juices and rice beverages. I know it’s hard to believe that fats and oils are a required part of a healthy, balanced diet, but they are when eaten in moderation and are of high quality. Upscale oils from canola oil, olive oil, and foods like salmon, avocados and nuts are great. However, “trashy oils” from shortening, lard, butter, stick margarine, palm kernel, coconut are high in saturated and trans fats and should be avoided. Whether it is heart healthy oils or artery-clogging fats, it is EASY to get enough of them. Be careful, because even very healthy safflower oil has 120 calories per tablespoon. Vegetables are any vegetable (raw, canned, dried or frozen) and 100% vegetable juice. It is recommended that we get AT LEAST five cups of vegetables or fruits each day; but while trying to reach this goal, watch out for those starchy veggies like white potatoes, corn, and lima beans. The same rules apply to fruits as they did to vegetables. A fruit is any fruit (raw, dried, canned, frozen, or pureed) and 100% fruit juice. In general, fruit is higher in sugar and calories than vegetables; therefore, it is easy to NOT lose weight when you drink fruit juices - especially because we are rarely using 6 and 8 oz glasses. Finally, mypyramid.gov describes another “grouping of foods” - sugars & sweets. Most of us know sugar to be defined as raw sugars, fructose, and dextrose. But watch out for those tricky, masqueraded sugars in the ingredient list such as high fructose corn syrup, molasses, and concentrated fruit juice. Foods with high quantities of these ingredients are to be eaten in moderation, and viewed as a treat. Blindly following another diet program is a short-sighted approach to weight loss. Successful weight management is rooted in you knowing food fundamentals which empowers you to make better choices for you and your family.
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
