Above is the new
Many people are surprised to see that there should be a source of dairy at every meal. Most people think of milk or yogurt as being a part of just breakfast. Remember the average American needs at least 3-4 dairy servings per day, which is equal to 900-1200mg of calcium. It is recommended your dairy servings be fat free or low fat. This is to help limit the amount of trans fats and saturated fats found in dairy. Dairy products that are high in fat can increase your bad cholesterol and contain more calories per serving. If you need a reminder on the importance of calcium and what a serving of dairy is please refer to my previous blog titled “Milk: It Really Does Do a Body Good”!
When looking at the picture of the plate, it is made clear that fruits and vegetables should be at least half of our calorie intake at each meal. While this is true, I want to point out that it is still all about portion control of both categories. Notice that technically the green triangle that represents vegetables is larger than the red triangle that represents fruit. The reason is because vegetables have a tendency to be lower in calories and in overall carbohydrates but higher in fiber and nutrients versus fruit.
Remember that there are two different categories within the “vegetable” umbrella. You have the non-starchy vegetables, which are very low in calories and carbohydrates and can be eaten in large amounts, and you have the starchy vegetables, which need to be eaten in moderation and portion controlled, especially if you have diabetes and/or insulin resistance. Non-Starchy vegetables include the vegetables that I listed on the blog titled “Miracle Foods to Weight Loss”, which are the following:
| Artichokes | Green Onions or Scallions | Tomato/Veggie Juice |
| Artichoke Hearts | Kohlrabi | Turnips |
| Asparagus | Leeks | Water Chestnuts |
| Green beans | Mushrooms | Watercress |
| Bean Sprouts | Chayote | Zucchini |
| Beets | Okra | Kale |
| Broccoli | Onions | Greens (all) |
| Brussels Sprouts | Pea Pods | Radishes |
| Cabbage | Peppers (all) | Bok Choy |
| Bamboo Sprouts | Salad greens | Daikon |
| Carrots | Sauerkraut | |
| Celery | Spinach | |
| Cauliflower | Summer Squash | |
| Cucumber | Tomatoes (all) | |
| Eggplant | Jicama |
These foods are unlimited in my opinion. I believe that you can eat all you want of these all day long and still be able to lose weight as long as you do not fry them or add more than 1 serving of fat to them. Starchy Vegetables are more common in the American diet. Examples of starchy vegetables are: corn, any kind of bean, peas, potatoes, winter squash, hominy, parsnips, plantain, pumpkin, and lentils. For most starchy vegetables 1 serving equals ½ cup.
For many of you following the popular weight loss program, you have been instructed in the program fruit is free and does not cost any points. However for people who are insulin resistant, have a genetic tendency towards Diabetes, who have a diagnosis of Diabetes already or who have PCOS, fruit is not free. As the plate diagram shows, there should a serving of fruit eaten at every meal. The key is understanding what a serving size of fruit looks like. The visual that I use for what a serving of fruit looks like is a tennis ball. For most fruits, a tennis ball shaped serving is 60 calories and/or 15 grams carbohydrate. Another important thing to remember when eating fruit is the more variety the better. Different colors and types of fruit bring different nutrients and health benefits to your diet. It is also important to eat fruits that you consume the outer skin because they usually have more fiber. Examples of 1 serving of Fruit or 15 grams Carbohydrate are: a small apple,½ cup of applesauce, a Clementine,15 grapes,10 cherries,2 TBS of most dried fruit,a half of a small banana ,a half of an orange or grapefruit, ¾ cup of berries,1 small kiwi, 1 ¼ cup of watermelon cubed, and a small peach or plum. Any fruit that is the size of a tennis ball or can fit into a tennis ball is probably 1 serving of fruit.
The other half of the plate is made up of grains and protein. Many people were surprised to see that the purple triangle that represents protein is smaller than the orange triangle that represents grains. In fact a majority of the calories on the recommended dietary guidelines come from carbohydrates. This is opposite from what many fad diets that are out on the market lead us to believe. Like I have discussed before, carbohydrates themselves are not what has made America overweight. It is our overconsumption of calories in general that have caused the weight gain and carbohydrates are just easier to over consume than fat and protein. It is all about calories in versus calories out. As I have stated before, it is all about portion control when it comes to grains. Examples of grains are: rice, pasta, any kind of bread, barley, bran, bulgur, cereal, couscous, grits, muesli, millet, polenta, quinoa, tabouli, and wheat germ. For most grains, 1 serving, which is 15 grams of carbohydrate/ 60 calories, is between a ¼ cup to ½ cup. It is recommended that more than half the grains you consume should be whole. I recommended that a majority of the grains that you consume should have more than 4 grams of fiber per serving. To refresh your memory on fiber look back at my blog on the benefits of fiber.
When it comes to protein at a meal, you want it to be lean. A serving a protein is usually 2 to 4 oz per meal depending on your body weight. Despite what the fad diets might lead us to believe, we consume too much protein. It is recommended that protein make up only 20% of your total daily calories. It is also recommended that more than half of the protein we consume should come from plant based proteins not animal. Don’t get me wrong, protein is important when it comes to muscle building, iron storage and other vitamin storage, such as riboflavin, but a little goes a long way. You want to make sure that you choose good quality and low fat protein.
The “My Plate” dietary guidelines really are a good outline to overall healthy living. They show that there is a place for all of our macronutrients. Remember it is all about portion control. We need to start eating for overall nutrition and health, not for the sport of it.
Next time you serve your plate for lunch and dinner, remember “My Plate”.
XOXO! The Dietnista
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