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Re-examine
the meaning of balance
June 3, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Do
you eat a balanced diet?
If your concept of balance has something to do with four food
groups, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
It’s an important idea to consider, because many of
us unconsciously eat in patterns we were taught to value from
the time we were kids. As familiar as they may be, those traditions
may no longer benefit our health.
I vividly recall my own early lessons in meal planning. My
mother’s meals – like many in her generation –
always consisted of a meat, two vegetables, a starch and a
salad.
When I was old enough to help make dinner, I once committed
the sin of preparing peas and corn – breaking the rule
against serving two starchy vegetables at the same meal.
Meal planning was formulaic, and the guidelines were meant
to ensure you got the full array of needed nutrients.
The intent behind the original “Basic Four Food Groups”
was to lump into the same category foods that provided similar
nutrients. Including at least one serving from each food group
increased the likelihood of getting a variety of nutrients
in each meal.
Meats, eggs and cheese were grouped as protein-rich foods.
Milk had an entire group to itself and was viewed as the main
source of calcium.
Breads and cereals provided B vitamins. Fruits and vegetables
rounded up the rest, including vitamins A and C.
In the last few decades, though, it became apparent that nutritional
excesses were a greater threat to most Americans’ health
than nutritional deficiencies. The standard American diet
– built around the Basic Four – provided too much
saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and too little
dietary fiber.
We’ve been fiddling with alternatives ever since –
including the government’s food guide pyramid being
used today.
A colleague once suggested to me that we boil recommendations
down to the most basic of advice: Eat a variety of stems,
leaves, roots, fruits and seeds. For me, it was an eye-opening
statement that could serve as a good and simple summary of
healthy eating.
But finding the right model – something simple yet sophisticated
enough to be accurate and helpful to most people – is
still a work in progress.
In the meantime, what should you consider a balanced meal
these days?
First, realize that every meal doesn’t have to be perfect.
It’s OK to get what you need over a day’s time.
That said, it’s time to move on from a meat, two veggies,
a starch and a salad. For a better balance, think in terms
of:
* A foundation of vegetables, fruit and whole grain breads
or cereals. No need to fret about whether you have too much
starch.
It’s more important to make sure these foods are present
in large proportions in your main meals.
A simple way to do this: Aim for a colorful plate. The full
spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green and deep blue or purple
will help ensure you’re serving a wide range of vitamins
and minerals.
* Meats, eggs and fatty dairy products as condiments. For
the right balance, make these ingredients a minor part of
meals, if you include them at all.
* Whole foods instead of processed. Eat foods as close to
their natural state as possible. Avoid highly processed foods,
such as foods made with white flour and those with lots of
sodium or sugar added.
Enjoy desserts – after all, treats and traditions play
an important role in our social connections and happiness
– but indulge in small servings a couple times a week
instead of making them a daily ritual.
Reconsider your idea of balance. Old rules don’t apply
any more.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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