Body-Wise
For breakfast this morning I ate a small serving of Palak Paneer which is a spinach and cheese dish (you can also use tofu) simmered in a seasoning of curry and chili powder. I ripped the basic recipe from one of my favorite reads the Nutrition Action Healthletter, but I spice it up more than they do.
Alongside my cup of tea, I also ate about a half-cup of the potato salad I had made for last night’s dinner. (I use the little red potatoes that are so good now and steam them for about 20 minutes, then toss with a mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, minced garlic, cracked pepper, fresh parsley and a twist or two from the salt mill.)
My daughters faithfully ate their cereal. But they also had a banana and a small serving of berries. (One daughter still holds her nose when she eats bananas, but she’s coming around.)
So not only are we nourishing our bodies with the most important meal of the day, we are also being good Americans. We are following the new food guideline number three “to make half your plate fruits and vegetables” no matter the meal. It is easier for me because last night’s leftovers have always been my breakfast of choice. The challenge is with the traditional cereal-and-toast deal. So we pour less cereal (usually granola. I know, I know…) and add more fruit than we used to do. Occasionally now we substitute OJ for milk. Sautéed zucchini and summer squash are delicious when paired with an egg and goat cheese omelet and fits the recommendation beautifully. Roasted sweet potatoes are good teamed with anything and put hash browns to shame. Although, if you make them yourself, you can omit a lot of the grease and salt found in many of the ready-made brands.
The narrative of the new food guidelines really have spurred my thinking about how my family eats. It is so much easier to comply with “make half your plate fruits and vegetables” than it is to “eat five servings of f & v a day.” It’s just a more concrete picture and advice, especially when thinking of breakfast that is often centered around simple carbohydrates. And especially since the new food group icon MyPlate replaces the old Food Pyramid. It really does get you to thinking about what’s on each plate at each meal.
Here are all the new guidelines put out by the USDA in January:
Enjoy your food, but eat less
Avoid oversized portions
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables (at every meal)
Make at least half your grains whole grains
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, frozen meals—and choose the foods with lower numbers
Drink water instead of sugary drinks
For a quick summary, here is a video I created for my Nutrition class about the guidelines.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/04/11 at 05:32 PM
