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Menu Planning
Each
of the basic food groups supplies a different combination of nutrients,
vitamins and minerals. Remember, variety is the key to good nutrition. Below
are the basic food groups and recommended servings.
Good menu
planning is based on balancing the foods you eat. When choosing foods,
consider how many calories are in each serving. You should also learn about the
amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium these foods may
add to your daily menu. Choose foods
low in saturated fat, trans-fat, cholesterol and sodium. Read
labels and ingredient lists to find out what a product contains. Another good thing
to consider is how often and when you eat each day..
A recent study published in The British Medical Journal found that people who
ate six small meals each day had an average cholesterol level that was five
percent lower than people who ate only one or two big meals each day. The
study, conducted at the If you don't
eat regularly, your metabolism slows down and your body absorbs and stores
more of the food you eat, including cholesterol and fat. If you eat more
frequently, your metabolism speeds up because your body "learns"
that more food will be on the way, thus burning off calories instead of
storing them and absorbing less cholesterol and fat. Eating breakfast is a
great way to jumpstart your metabolism each day. It's also a good idea to
consume most of your food during daylight hours because that's when you're
most active. For most people, eating after 7 p.m. is like putting gas into a
car that isn't going to be driven. Here is a
typical menu and schedule for a low saturated fat, low cholesterol, high fiber diet. This example would provide about 1800
calories.
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