Food groups and their contribution

Vegetables and Fruits: (supply vitamins, minerals and calories)


Vegetables daily - cooked and raw - fresh, frozen, canned. For vitamin A, include dark green leafy and deep yellow colored vegetables at least 4-5 times a week (broccoli, kale, spinach and other greens, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash).

In addition to vitamin A, the green leafy vegetables furnish vitamin C and iron when properly prepared.
Potatoes and a variety of other vegetables provide additional vitamins and minerals.

Fruits - daily -

Include fruits high in vitamin C daily:    grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, tomatoes; also cantaloupe and strawberries. A variety of other fruits provide additional vitamins and minerals.


All these portions contain 10 g. of fat!
What would you choose?

 

 

 

Enriched and Whole Grain Breads or Cereals: daily (supply B vitamins, iron, protein and calories). Milk and Milk Products (supply high quality protein, calcium, riboflavin and calories)


    Include two cups of skim milk daily for adults. The fat in whole milk is predominantly saturated. Fat-free buttermilk and evaporated skim milk are available and approved.
Include 2-4 cups of milk daily for children. Some of their milk allowance may be skim milk. Skim milk contains all of the nutrients in whole milk except most of the fat and vitamins A  and D.


    More than 4 cups of milk are not recommended for children or adolescents.


    Cottage, pot, and farmer cheese are relatively low in fat and high in protein.


    Also on the market (USA), are imitation process cheese spreads with a fat content not exceeding 5%.

 

   Avoid butter, cream, ice cream, cream cheese and other whole milk cheeses!

 


All these portions contain 10 g. of fat!
What would you choose?

 


    Fish, Meat, Eggs: (supply high quality protein, iron, the B vitamins and calories)
Include fish at least 4-5 times a week, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Fat in fish is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fats. Poultry and veal are lower in fat than beef, pork and lamb may be used more frequently.


    Beef, pork and lamb are high in saturated fats. Limit the number of servings to 3-4 times a week, and size of servings to 4 ounces cooked. Allow as a guide approximately 1/3 raw for boneless and 1/2 pound raw for products with bones.


    Serve liver, heart and kidney only occasionally for they are high in cholesterol.


    Limit eggs to 4 a week for adults; 4-7 for children. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol.

Select lean cuts of meats: - beef: round, sirloin tip, rump; lamb: leg; pork: loin, ham or leg.
Remove all visible fat.

Avoid all fat meats: such as bacon, sausage, corned beef, pastrami, salami.

 


 

 

Cholesterol in food and in the blood:

Cholesterol is an essential fat-like substance found in all body cells. Our bodies manufacture cholesterol out of materials derived from foods we eat. Cholesterol is present in animal food products - meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products containing butter fats. It is not found in plant foods - fruits, vegetables, grain and cereal products, and nuts. Common foods highest in cholesterol are brains, egg yolk, kidney and liver.


Lowering the intake of dietary cholesterol as well as saturated fats is essential in lowering the blood cholesterol.