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Eliminating fat from cooking? Is that possible? Well! To add
taste to your palates, fat is really essential. Have a look at the food pyramid.
Fat or oil is included as an essential component. The amount and type of fat is
very important. However, a total elimination of fat from cooking or diet is not
at all healthy.
Fat is considered the source of energy:
Fat is energy giving food next to Carbohydrates. Fats can provide twice the
amount of energy. For proper physical growth of children fat is absolutely
essential.
If fat is not supplied to body in adequate quantities, body may depend on sugar
for energy. This may cause blood sugar to fall causing hypoglycemia. Do you know
that even simple foods like carrot and celery contains minute amount of fat?.
Essential fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized by the body, have to be
provided through adequate nutrition from food.
Certain v itamins are fat-soluble:
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble Vitamins. That means v itamin will be
well absorbed only when there is adequate fat in the body.
Fat cushions the body:
Fat provides good shape to the body and protects the internal organs. Again fat
prevents the body from harmful rays if exposed. Fat is good for skin. It
provides the skin proper glow. Again fat helps the body to regulate the
temperature of the body. In cold climate, fat prevents excess loss of body heat.
Fat is important for children and pregnant women:
Fat is the source of energy in infants and pregnant women. The fatty acids from
diet are required for formation of cell membranes and even cell lining. The
central nervous system development in infants is possible only when adequate
amount of fat is provided in the diet of pregnant women. The breast milk has
fatty acid composition, which is the life giv ing food of a newborn.
Fat is essential for hormone function:
Hormones are required for proper growth, maintenance and functioning of body.
The hormone system depends on fats to produce hormones. Cholesterol is needed
for production of sex hormones and other hormones of the body.
Fats provide flavor and aroma to foods cooked and they can satisfy the feelings
of hunger. Some fat is required to maintain body weight.About18-24% of body
weight from fat is essential for women and 14-18% in men.
Cholesterol is essential for skin oils, digestive juices and even in bowel
movement. So fat is essential for cooking & healthy living. Fat is an essential
ready source of energy. A complete elim ination of fat from cooking is neither
possible nor healthy!
The USDA Food Pyramid depicts a healthy food group mix and is quantified in
servings.
What Counts as One Serving? The amount of food that counts as one serv ing is
listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serv ing. For
example, a dinner portion of spaghetti would count as 2 or 3 servings of pasta.
The pyramid recommends eating at least the lowest number of servings from the
five major food groups listed below. You need them for the vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, and protein they prov ide. Just try to pick the lowest fat
choices from the food groups. No specific serv ing size is given for the fats,
oils, and sweets group because the message is USE SPARINGLY. |
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Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese: 2-3 Servings
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
2 ounces of processed cheeses.
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts: 2-3 Servings
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans
1 egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat
Vegetable: 3-5 Servings
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit: 2-4 Servings
1 medium apple, banana, orange
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta: 6-11
1 slice of bread
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta |
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