For this blog posting, please create three meal plans, each centered around your food group, that reflect a balance diet. If you haven't already, please send me your outline for the research paper. Enjoy the beautiful autumn weather!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
After Class Five
For this blog posting, please create three meal plans, each centered around your food group, that reflect a balance diet. If you haven't already, please send me your outline for the research paper. Enjoy the beautiful autumn weather!
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NW wrote:
ReplyDeleteIn yesterday's class we went over organic foods and why they're important, differences between organic and locally grown foods and the major food groups along with some individual foods (e.g., melons).
In the first portion of the class I was happy to learn that organic food is becoming bigger and bigger in the market. I came to realize from our discussion that the importance of organic food in terms of health, is not necessarily the nutrient content but the fact that it is pesticide and chemical safe. This had not been a consideration prior to this class discussion.
The difference between locally grown food and organic food was made clear in yesterday's class. I think the majority of people often associate that two together. There is a difference between locally grown foods and organic foods however, and this lies mainly in the type of farming. Locally grown foods can be grown through traditional agriculture but organic foods (in order to be certified organic) need to go through a completely different method of farming. Organic foods can come from any place in the world where as locally grown means just that, it was locally grown!
The next topic we discussed was the food groups. My group was assigned grains. there are many benefits to eating whole grains over refined grains. One of the health benefits are the extra vitamins, minerals and fibre you get from eating the husk. Refined grains will be less nutritious but they have greater shelf life.
In order to make a complete balanced meal I would mix whole grain rice with fish (for omega 3 and leaner protein). I would couple this dish with 3 servings of vegetables: 1 type green and leafy, 2nd type orange, 3rd type something akin to broccoli or cauliflour. The meal would end with dessert which, would be in the form of fruit either citrus, melon or other.
All this talk about food reminds me of my own personal goal. As I mentioned before, my goal is to reduce my consumption of junk food. I have actually started making progress by assigning 1 day as a "no junk food day" I've also limited my purchases of pastries and other snacks. Hopefully this small step towards a healthier lifestyle works. If I am successful, perhaps a second "no junk food day" will be incorporated into my long term diet.
Here are few meal ideas that include orange vegetables:
ReplyDelete1.) Acorn squash stuffed with rice and veggies. Here is a recipe I tried the other day and it is super yummy http://ohsheglows.com/2010/07/20/pretty-in-the-pan-stuffed-patty-pan-squash/ (I used acorn squash and wild rice instead.)
2.) Butternut chilli served with brown rice http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/12/butternut-chili.html
3.) Roasted sweet potato wedges with salad with grilled chicken http://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe_of_the_day/sweet_potato_fries_with_curry_mayonnaise.php
This lecture we discussed the importance of organic/locally grown foods and how nutrition can play a role in the health of students. Near the end of class, we discussed our food groups. My assigned food group was grains. Here are my three meal ideas:
ReplyDelete1) BREAKFAST: Scrambled Egg and Cheese Wraps – Using a whole wheat tortilla will give me whole grains, which gives me more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than non-whole grains. There is Choline, a substance found in egg yolks that stimulates brain development and function. As well, eggs contain 14 essential nutrients. Cooking the scrambled eggs on a non-stick skillet will also allow me to add much less oil during the cooking process. Lastly I will add grated cheddar cheese before rolling the wraps up and eating them. Cheese contains calcium, which aids in making strong bones and teeth.
2) LUNCH/DINNER: Asian Chicken Rice Bowl – Using brown rice instead of white rice will give me whole grains, which gives me more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than non-whole grains. Chicken will give me proteins and using lean chicken breast will give me less fat. For my vegetables, I will use broccoli (dark green) – high in fiber and minerals and nutrients and is a good source of calcium and carrots (orange) – high in vitamin A, beta-carotene (good for eye health and can decrease age-related problems) and high in vitamin C (antioxidant which boosts the immune system)
3) DESSERT: Strawberry Banana Parfaits – Granola is made from rolled oats and you can get it in low-fat and whole-grain varieites, which gives me more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than non-whole grains. Using low-fat vanilla yogurt will give me the calcium and probiotics found in dairy products without the added fat. Berries are high in antioxidants which can prevent cancer and are good for the vision and bananas are good for decreased risk of chronic disease such as heart disease and are low in cholesterol.
This week’s class was interesting and I enjoyed watching and learning new things about organic/locally grown foods. As a vegetarian I have never paid much attention to nutrition and the importance of the benefits and disadvantages of certain various food groups. Over the week I noticed that one of the biggest portions of water in my diet comes from 2% milk and chocolate milk. Although I would have thought that chocolate milk is not as effective and beneficial to my diet, I have come to realize that chocolate milk has the same amount of nutrients as white milk, including all its calcium and vitamin D. As part of a healthy diet, it can help us meet Canada’s Food Guide recommendations for Milk and Alternatives. Along with my water consumption I will need to increase my milk intake by 1 cup at least to meet the daily recommended needs.
ReplyDeleteBefore this class I never realized the importance of Melon in our diet. Melons are a good source of potassium and vitamin C. Along with many other fruits, it is cholesterol and fat free as well as being fairly low in calories with a relatively water content. Not only that but they are a great way to lose weight!
Because melons are a high in water they will not only fill us up but give each our water intake as well. Therefore for:
Breakfast: Diced melons can be cut up into cubes or wedges and served as a side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For those of you like me, always in a rush and not much of a breakfast person, chopping up a watermelons or cantaloupes in a container to go is an easy and quick way to have melons for breakfast. Another breakfast idea I found interesting that requires more time is called the Breakfast Melon Crunch Bar. Here is the link for those interested! http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Dessert/Fruit/recipe.html?dishID=6935
Lunch: For those of us always in a rush to get to and from class and not up to buying food constantly on campus why not make Mango and melon soup at home? Having said that, the soup does not necessarily have to be warmed up one can see it as a smoothie. All you have to do is blend the two fruits (cholesterol and fat free, low in calorie/high in water content) and blend together until both are fairly smooth.
Dessert: Melons alone are fairly sweet; therefore melons alone can be served for dessert or one of my favorite dishes is fruit salads. Where I dice up watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, apple, bananas, strawberry, and any other fruit wanted in really tiny bits mixed with milk (and sugar) if necessary. It’s amazing have you tried it?
This week I found that learning to read food labels was very important for those trying to eat healthier and really understand the nutrition of their favorite foods. I find that a problem with many people trying to eat healthy, especially those trying to lose weight, is that they do not know how to read nutrition labels properly. People often only look at the calories or the fat, but don't think about sodium or sugar levels, which can be very high in simple foods you wouldn't expect. I think it would be beneficial for people to be informed on what those specific numbers and percentages mean to their daily diet.
ReplyDeleteI was also assigned to the group Melons for the week:
Breakfast: There are some melons out there, (for example, cantaloupe or honeydew melon) that can have their outer skins peeled allowing you to eat the entire melon. A great way to incorporate melons into breakfast is to form half a melon into a bowl, and possible fill that bowl with yogurt and granola. Then, when you are finished the yogurt, you simply eat your bowl. It's easy to make and can be taken on the run during a busy morning.
Lunch: If you're like me, I generally don't sit down and eat a standard lunch, especially if I'm in class all day or at work. Melons can be easily diced up and be stored in containers as a lunchtime food. Because melons are so dense with water, you really don't need a lot of it to make you feel full. Another option would be to try a melon smoothie (obviously, you would prepare this at home and store in a thermos). Combining melons, strawberries, raspberries, and banana along with milk and yogurt makes for a pretty tasty smoothie, plus you are getting a ton of nutrients.
Dessert: One of my favorite ways to eat fruits is frozen! You can buy large bags of a combination of frozen fruits (honeydew, mango, strawberries, raspberries, grapes) at any local supermarket. One of my favorite ways to eat them are mixed into a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a rainbow sorbet. DELICIOUS.
I learned that there are many advantages to eating organic as opposed to inorganic foods. This sustainable way to eat food is much more nutritious as it is richer in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty-acids than other inorganic foods. Also, organic foods are fresher, they taste better and they have not been doused with pesticides. In my opinion, not very many people consider buying organic foods because they feel like eating any kinds of fruits and vegetables are healthy, regardless of whether or not they’re grown organically. Therefore, not much thought goes into how or where their fruits and vegetables were grown.
ReplyDeleteI was assigned to the “dairy” group. Three meals that could be made with dairy products are:
BREAKFAST/LUNCH: Pancakes made with buttermilk, topped with butter and a glass of plain milk or chocolate milk to drink; or a grilled cheese sandwich (made with butter and sliced cheddar cheese) and a glass of plain white milk or chocolate milk to drink.
DINNER: Penne Alfredo baked with cheese. The alfredo sauce which is the base of the pasta is made with milk/cream and parmesan cheese. Once the pasta has boiled, mix it into the aflredo sauce, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake in the oven until melted; serve with garlic toast.
DESSERT: A bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream, and cherries.
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ReplyDeleteHi everyone, I think we had a good discussion today regarding the different food groups and local and organic food production and consumption as well. While both local and organic streams appear to be popular, it seems that the majority of consumers are not as concerned about whether they eat locally produced food (eg. Fruits from the Okanogan) or organically grown food because to them, it usually is whichever is the cheapest and the most readily available that determines a purchase. For the past eight years, I have worked in a neighbourhood grocery store, both in the produce and in the grocery departments and I always see people purchasing a number of different products. I hardly get asked “Where do you keep your organic foods?” or “When are you receiving local produce?” What I do see is that people will buy food, grown either locally or abroad as ong as the price is competitive. For example, we sell a lot of apples in our store and currently, they are mainly from the Okanogan but usually, they are shipped in from the United States. The majority of our fruits and vegetables do come from the United States with a small percent coming from New Zealand (apples and oranges), China (Asian Pears) and Mexico (grapes and tomatoes), to name a few. Yes, our store tries to by locally and usually this is done during the spring or summer season because it is readily available and if only, the price is right. Usually, it is cheaper to buy a product from California than from a local farm in Richmond. At our store, customers do not purchase organic products very much because they keep complaining that the price is expensive and that they can get the same product, grown elsewhere, for the half the price. For many families, organic is out of the question just because it is just too expensive to feed everyone. If a product can be purchased for cheaper and family members are all fed, then for many, this is the priority. Customers today are very busy with their jobs, their children’s activities and other important events in their lives and for the majority, they have little time to worry about whether their food is from a local farm or imported. Availability and affordability seem to determine the types of produce people purchase.
ReplyDeleteNow, with regard to our food groups, I have tried to create three meal plans that centers around fish, the food group that I was assigned.
ReplyDeleteMeal #1: Salmon Salad (Lunch)
This is a good lunch option instead of eating a greasy hamburger or pizza and it is a simple meal to make and prepare for. We know that fish is full of Omega 3 fatty acids, high in protein and a healthy food to eat and to incorporate these nutrients on a bed of fresh lettuce including Romaine, Green leaf, Red, Boston, Iceberg which is also high in fiber, minerals and vitamins. A variety of other vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. can be added and then topped off with sliced almonds and this would create a healthy and tasty dish. While canned salmon can be used, it would be better to bake or to poach the salmon instead because less sodium will be ingested. The preferred dressing would be an oil and vinegar dressing (made from scratch) because olive oil is good for you and extra preservatives are not used unlike in store bought dressings.
Meal #2: Baked Salmon with miso and spring vegetables and rice (Dinner)
This is another meal in which is not only healthy but good to eat as well. When preparing a baked salmon, you can add certain spices or lemon slices, to add a flavor. Once the salmon is ready, you can top it off with miso, an ingredient full of soy and one that is healthy for you. The baked or broiled salmon can be served with spring vegetables such as carrots, celery, flat or snap peas etc. all which contain a variety of vitamins and other healthy nutrients. A side dish of brown rice which has Vitamin B, fiber and other nutrients can also be served.
Meal #3: Salmon Teriyaki (Dinner)
A final meal suggestion can be salmon teriyaki. The salmon is prepared with a soya sauce marinade but to lessen the sodium content, low sodium soya sauce can be used. Fresh garlic and ginger is also used in the marinade. The marinated fish can be either baked, broiled or barbequed. As an accompaniment, an assortment of vegetables including beans, peas, baby Bok choi etc can be made. All of these vegetables are rich in vitamins and other nutrients. This salmon meal can also be served with quinoa and/or brown rice.
Usually this is where dessert comes but I can’t think of any good desserts that contain fish!
I was sad to have missed out on this weeks lecture as I'm very interested in the organic, and particularly, local food movement. For a while, I think the organic food movement was largely accepted as one that stood against harmful chemicals and pesticides, but I'm glad to see that people are now starting to accept the movement as one that is also concerned about the nutritional quality of organic food!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I will mention that I think it's important to keep an eye out for food that claims to be organic. As Michael Pollan notes in his awesome book 'In Defence of Food', a number of food corporations looking to cash in on the organic movement will often find loopholes so their food can be 'certified organic'. For example, food may be GROWN without use of pesticides, but treatment after harvesting may include cleaning procedures that use harmful chemicals.
I was asked to research tropical fruits. I found that many tropical fruits are high in Vitamin C, B-vitamins, fibre, and potassium. In relating to this weeks lecture, I should note that one problem with tropical fruits is that they often have to be imported from distant countries. As a result, massive amounts of energy are used just so you can enjoy a slice of pineapple!
Anyway, these are my 3 meal plans!
Breakfast Smoothie!
My favourite smoothies include lots of tropical fruit. I will throw in 1 full banana, some frozen pineapple chunks, frozen mango, a scoop of orange juice concentrate, blueberries, yogurt, and milk. While some like to throw some protein powder into the mix, I prefer to add a couple tablespoons of hemp seed hearts, which is also high in protein. (Read hemp hearts here: http://www.canadahempfoods.com/)
BBQ Chicken & Pineapple
Easy peasy! Marinade your chicken in teriyaki sauce and grill it on the bbq. Meanwhile, grill cross-sectional slices of pineapple. To serve, place chicken on bed of rice and top with pineapple!
Spinach and Pomegranate Salad
10 ounces of spinach leaves (equivalent to one bag of spinach)
¼ C red onion, sliced thinly
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup alfalfa sprouts
1 pomegranate, peeled and seeds separated
Combine ingredients in salad bowl and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of a balsamic vinaigrette. Pair with a protein, such as fish or chicken!
My plan of going to the gym twice a week and doing three fitness classes has fallen apart now that I’ve gotten closer to projects and midterms coming due. This week, I didn’t attend my Pilates class because I felt I needed the time to study for my midterm and the gym has been non-existent. On top of that, my dance class has ended and the next one hasn’t started yet. It’s been a fairly lazy week or two. However, I have managed to go on a few runs to make up for my lack of gym attendance, which makes me feel a bit better. On a side note, this semester has brought quite a bit of back pain for me, which is a pretty strange occurrence, as I’ve never really had back pain. This week I have been told that one of my hips is being pulled out of alignment, which is in turn pulling on one side of my lower back, causing the pain. With this problem, when I do stretches involving bending at the hips (like a sit and reach)-- which I do quite a bit of in my fitness classes-- I’m really just pulling even more on my sore back, causing more pain. Now that I am aware of the problem, I’ve been given advice to help fix it – so I think I really need to focus on my fitness plan over the next little while, in particular the exercises I have been given, so that I can alleviate my back pain.
ReplyDeleteThree Meal Options (For dry/starchy vegetables):
1. Tofu Stir-fry
Make a stir-fry with rice, vegetables, and tofu- this covers three food groups already. Serve with a glass of milk and a dessert with fruit (like a fruit salad) and all the food groups should be covered.
(recipe idea at http://vegetarian.about.com/od/stirfries/r/simplestirfry.htm)
2. Chicken & Potato Stew
This stew has chicken and potatoes as the main ingredients, and includes several different vegetables (recipe idea at http://www.mtnking.com/recipe/soup/chicken_stew.html). Serve with fresh buns, a glass of milk, and fruit for dessert to cover all the food groups.
3. Bean Chili
Having beans in place of meat is a healthy alternative. Eat with bread, cheese on top of the chili, and fruit for dessert.
Connor wrote:
ReplyDeleteThis week I was assigned to the food group starch. It was an interesting food group to study because starch is not something that people think about on an everyday basis. After reviewing with my group it was interesting to note how important it was to have starch in your diet. The following are some meal plans for breakfast lunch and dinner that include a sufficient amount of starch.
BREAKFAST: For breakfast I personally do not eat much. I prefer something quick that doesn’t take a lot of preparation. If you are at all like me here are some breakfast options that could be useful for you. A possible breakfast food that will provide enough starch in the morning would be fibre one cereal. A whole-wheat bagel also provides an adequate amount of starch as does oatmeal. Any one of these 3 items would provide a person with enough starch to start the day. It is important in the morning that you balance this out with some fruit and juice.
LUNCH: Spaghetti would be providing sufficient starch for your diet. It provides approximately 34g of starch. Also it helps with satiety, which is the feeling of fullness. This can help with weight loss as you will feel full longer and won’t eat as much. It is still important to incorporate other food groups in your diet.
DINNER: A dinner that would provide enough starch Chicken with Potatoes and Beans. They all give you approximately 30-40g of starch. As well this dinner will provide protein and carbohydrates which is important in every days diet.
Tawnya wrote:
ReplyDeleteI am excited for all of these interesting postings! I am already getting some great ideas from everyone!
I found it really interesting learning more about organic and locally grown foods. Being able to discuss the pro's (health benefits and environmental benefits) and con's (price $$ & cutting out certain foods such as bananas) about these foods was a huge eye opener. Unfortunately I do not think I will be able to shop both organic and local; however I feel I have been making smarter choices and buying more organic foods.
My food topic was "dark leafy greens". The meals that I came up with were as followed:
Something as simple as making a salad is a great way to indulge in a tasty, balanced, healthy meal! In your salad use greens such as: romaine lettuce, spinach and arugula. Add some color into your salad by adding tomato’s, carrots (high in vitamin A, and C; and great for your eyes!) and berries can be a great addition to salads (high in anti oxidants)! You can also add cheese to your salad to add some calcium to your meal. Adding some sort of protein (chicken or fish) is important to help balance this meal.
Make a wrap; use a whole wheat tortilla (for whole grains), add tuna, chicken or turkey for some protein, and top your wrap off with plenty of leafy greens such as spinach, romaine or arugula (high in fiber and minerals) and some other veggies for extra flavor.
Stir fries are another great way to include greens into your daily meals. A chicken or tofu (high in protein) stir fried with olive or canola oil and your favorite dark greens (such as broccoli) is delicious and healthy! Make sure you add other veggies to your stir fry such as carrots, peas (high in fiber and calcium) and red peppers! Veggies can be added on top of brown rice which provides you with whole grains, more fiber.
Blog Entry 6-Meal Plan for Balanced Diet
ReplyDeleteMeal Plan Food Food Group Explanations of the Meal Plan
1 Carrot Orange I am choosing the combinations because it could match with the idea of balanced diet. Based on the balanced diet pyramid, human would need carbohydrate the most in a balanced diet, pasta is rich in carbohydrate therefore I choose pasta in our meal plan. Chicken could provide us with protein which is also needed by our body everyday. Carrot is in the orange food group which can provide us with rich Vitamin C and reduced age-related macula, with the Grapefruit juice which can provided us with fiber, I think this combination is a balanced diet. Also I am choosing these food because they could easily found in supermarkets and the price would not be high, therefore it would be a cheap, delicious and balanced diet meal. Chicken Meat Pasta Grains Grapefruit juice Citrus
2 Sweet Potato Orange Sweet Potato is in the orange food group which means it is rich in Vitamin C, and it is also rich in carbohydrates and provide us with the feeling of full. Bean and Salmon is rich in protein which could provide energy for our muscles, they are also rich in Omega 3 which could reduce our risk of getting heart disease. Blueberry is rich in antioxidant and it could help with our vision and prevent us from some kind of cancer. Yogurt is under the group of dairy, it could provide us with fiber to digest the food well. The combination I choose do fit the balanced diet pyramid therefore it should be a balanced diet. Bean Dry Salmon Fish Blueberry Berries Yogurt Dairy
3 Toast Grain Toast is under the food group of Grain and it could provide us with rich carbohydrate, egg is under the group of other, but it is rich in protein just like the meat. Tomato and Pumpkin are both rich in Vitamin C and could reduce the risk of cancer. Banana is rich in fiber and Potassium, and it is proved that it could help us with constipation and lower the risk of chronic cancer. The food I choose in this meal plan is also cheap and easily found, I think it is actually easy to maintain balanced diet if we pay more attention to the nutrients and advantages of each food.
this week I was assigned the grains group. Grains are absolutely necessary. they provide the highest percentage of fibre in our diets and carbohydrates are our main source of energy. Be sure to have whole grains over refined grains for extra fibre and vitamines! Grains come in many forms: from breads, to cereal to granola!
ReplyDeleteFor a meal that is complete in nutrients have a carbohydrate dish (e.g., brown rice), couple that with an assortment of coloured and green leafy vegetables, add a protein source (tofu, beans or lean meats). Don't forget a nice healthy desert like melon or citrus fruit!