The Fundamental Five

There are five food groups that you should be eating from daily in order to maintain a healthy body. The amount you eat from each of these food groups plays a key role in maintaining an ideal weight and a good level of energy, decreasing the chances of illness and disease occurring, and providing you with general health and well being. Your daily meal planning should include a good variety of foods between and within each of these groups.

Foods high in carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice, noodles, beans and potatoes, form the largest part of your dietary needs. Carbohydrates are essential to our bodies as they provide most of the energy we need to fuel our everyday activities. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, a type of sugar required by the cells in our bodies. These foods also contain fibre and numerous vitamins and minerals that provide you with good health, including the prevention of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. However, be aware that there are both 'good' and 'bad' versions of these foods. Processed and refined foods, such as white rice, white flour, white bread and white pasta, have had most of the original fibre and nutrients removed during their making and therefore contain only 'empty' calories. On the other hand, unprocessed foods, such as wholemeal pasta, wholegrain breads, brown rice and some cereals, retain the full amount of fibre and nutrients. When possible, you should therefore choose the 'good' foods in this group to gain the maximum health benefits for yourself and your family. Variety is important too though, so it is still OK to have white bread, rice or pasta on occasion when they are part of a particular dish you like! Depending on your situation, you should aim to have between four and ten serves from this food group daily, or at least half of your daily energy needs. A serve can be two slices of bread, one cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles, or half a cup of muesli.

Vegetables and legumes, such as peas and beans, should constitute another large part of your daily diet. We all need to eat at least five servings a day, and they can form part of every meal and be a good choice for snacking. A serve can be half a cup of cooked vegetables or legumes, a medium sized potato or one cup of salad vegetables. We need these foods as they contain essential nutrients our bodies need to function properly. Vegetables contain various vitamins, minerals, fibre and carbohydrates, as well as a number of compounds that work as antioxidants. Research has shown that a diet high in vegetables is important in preventing cancer, heart disease and aging related conditions.

Fruit makes up the next largest food group of your daily needs. Generally containing large amounts of water, fibre, carbohydrates and certain vitamins, they also possess a number of compounds similar to vegetables that work as antioxidants and ward off major illnesses and disease. You should be aiming to have at least two serves of fruit daily. A serve can be one large piece of fruit, such as an apple or a banana, two small pieces of fruit, such as apricots, or one cup of chopped up fruit. They make the ideal healthy snack, or can be used to sweeten other foods such as yoghurt or cereal.

Quality, premium Australian fruit, delivered to your door at an affordable price!

Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, are essential for strong bones and teeth due to their high calcium content. They also contain protein and certain other nutrients, depending on the product. However, they naturally contain high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can cause weight gain and have been linked to heart disease and some forms of cancer. So if you do consume milk and dairy products, it is advisable to choose reduced or non fat brands when possible. Depending on your situation, it is advisable to have between two and five serves from this food group daily. A serve can be one cup of milk, two slices of cheese or a small tub of yoghurt. Other foods also contain similar amounts of calcium, including sardines, salmon and almonds. Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale contain calcium, but in smaller amounts. Certain other foods have been fortified with extra calcium, such as breakfast cereals and soy milk. Soy products in general are seen by some as an alternative to milk based products as they contain similar nutrients without the saturated fat or cholesterol. To get your two to five serves from this food group daily, you can substitute milk, cheese and yoghurt with these alternatives. One serve, for example, can be one cup of calcium fortified soy milk, one cup of almonds or half a cup of pink salmon (with bones).

Sources of protein including meat, fish, eggs, poultry, nuts and legumes are needed as protein is essential for the building and repair of the body's cells, as well as it being an important source of energy for the body. Apart from being a good source of protein, these foods also contain a range of vitamins and minerals important to your health. When eating meat, it is important to choose lean cuts to avoid consuming too much fat. When relying on plant based protein, it is important to combine it with a good source of carbohydrates such as rice or bread to ensure complete protein is absorbed. Iron in red meat is more easily absorbed by the body than iron from other sources, but a diet high in red meat has been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer occurring. Other foods in this group containing iron include oily fish, poultry, chickpeas, tofu and green leafy vegetables. Caffeine is believed to inhibit the absorption of iron, so avoid tea or coffee just before, during and just after meals. On the other hand, vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron, so fruits, fruit juice, green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers or potatoes should be consumed during iron rich meals. It is recommended that one or two serves from this food group is consumed daily. One serve can be 80 - 100 grams of cooked chicken or fish, half a cup of chick peas or canned beans, or one third a cup of peanuts or almonds. Many, perhaps most, people tend to have too much protein in their diet, which leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Other foods high in fat, salt and sugar, such as candy, french fries, ice cream or biscuits, should only be eaten infrequently and in moderation as a treat if desired, and as such should not form part of your daily diet. These foods do provide your body with a source of energy. However, they offer no other nutritional benefits and overeating in this food group increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Unsaturated fats are believed to be good for you though as they can help to lower cholesterol and should be used in small amounts when preparing meals. They can be found in polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower, soya bean and corn, or in monounsaturated oils such as olive, peanut and canola. However, most of the biscuits, cakes, candy and other processed foods contain saturated, or animal, fats which can lead to numerous health problems when consumed in large quantities.

The Fundamental Five

Continue Reading...