Healthy Eating

As you know this blog is continually a work in progress. I started it as a journal to myself when I was first diagnosed and over the years it has continued to develop. As I embark on this new path of a gluten-free culinary arts and nutrition (application candidate) student I hope this blog will continue to grow upward and into more healthy and delicious gluten-free and allergy friendly dishes for all of you. I am not a health expert or Dietitian, but I hope to become one in the future. The following information is from various sources, must mostly the USDA Choose My Plate website.

To receive personalized daily food plans please visit USDA Choose My Plate’s Daily Food Plans.

There are NO bad foods – only bad portion sizes and lack of the nutrition motto of BMV – Balance, Moderation and Variety!

Some guidelines for healthy eating include:  proper portion sizes, low-fat dairy products, utilizing natural flavor enhances (such as garlic), avoid highly processed foods, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, healthy cooking methods (poaching, grilling, and steaming), and of course it must taste good!!

Remember if you are on a restricted diet be sure to read all of the labels to double-check the ingredients listed and processing information.

Check out Choose My Plate.Gov for more information and healthy eating tips.

I also recommend purchasing a food scale. This way you can really be sure that your portions are correct. They aren’t very expensive and there is a large variety of them. Check out EatSmart Scales for some great options!

Confused about portions sizes? Try relating them to everyday items to help you out!

A rounded handful – one 1/2 cup vegetables or fruit, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta, or a snack serving of crisps or pretzels
Woman’s fist – another way of visualising a serving of vegetables, or one piece of whole fruit
Small handful or golf ball – 1/4 cup of dried fruit or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
A matchbox – a 1 oz serving of meat, or a serving of cheese
Deck of cards, – a 3oz serving (recommended serving = 3-4 oz) of meat, fish or poultry, or ten chips/french fries
Check book – a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz)
Tennis ball – 1/2 cup of pasta, or a serving of ice cream
Computer mouse – a medium baked potato
Compact disc – one serving of pancake or small waffle
Thumb tip or one dice – one teaspoon of margarine
A ping-pong ball – two tablespoons of peanut butter
Small milk carton – 8 fl oz glass of milk
A baseball – 8 fl oz cup of yogurt, one cup of beans, or one cup of dry cereal

Grains

Whole Grains are better than refined grains. Try to consume at least 1/2 of your daily recommended value of whole grains per day. Look for grains that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and be sure to drink plenty of fluids (especially water).

1 Ounce of grains is equivalent to = 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready to eat cereal, 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup cooked pasta 1/2 cup cooked cereal

Examples of  gluten-free whole grains include: amaranth, back rice, brown rice, buckwheat, flaxseed, millet, oatmeal (look for gluten-free specifically), quinoa, sorghum, whole grain cornmeal, and wild rice

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here.

Grains	Age	Daily Recommendation	Daily Minimum Amount of Whole Grains
Children	2-3	3 ounces	1 ½ ounce
	4-8	5 ounces	2 ½ ounces
Girls	9-13	5 ounces	3 ounces
	14-18	6 ounces	3 ounces
Boys	9-13	6 ounces	3 ounces
	14-18	8 ounces	4 ounces
Women	19-30	6 ounces	3 ounces
	31-50	6 ounces	3 ounces
	51+	5 ounces	3 ounces
Men	19-30	8 ounces	4 ounces
	31-50	7 ounces	3 ½ ounces
	51+	6 ounces	3 ounces

Vegetables

Choose a variety of colors –  “More color = more nutrients” (Dark Green, Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, White, Purple) Vegetables and fruits are considered “nutrient dense” meaning they are high in nutrients and low in calories. Some examples include beets carrots, broccoli, kale, kiwi, strawberry, and blueberries.

1 cup = 1 cup raw/cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, 2 cups raw leafy greens.

Examples of Vegetables by color:

Dark Green:bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy lettuce, kale, mesclun, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens,watercress

Green: green bananas, green peas, green lima beans, green peppers, Brussel sprouts, artichokes, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, zucchini,

Red and Orange: acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, hubbard squash, pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomato juice, golden beets

Purple: eggplant, purple cabbage, red onions, beets

Yellow and White: onions, cabbage, summer squash, parsnips, turnips, mushrooms, wax beans

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here

Vegetables	Age	Daily Recommendation
Children	2-3	1 cup
	4-8	1 ½ cups
Girls	9-13	2 cups
	14-18	2 ½ cups
Boys	9-13	2 ½ cups
	14-18	3 cups
Women	19-30	2 ½ cups
	31-50	2 ½ cups
	51+	2 cups
Men	19-30	3 cups
	31-50	3 cups
	51+	2 ½ cups

Fruits

Choose a variety of colors!

1 Cup = 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, 1/2 cup of dried fruit

Examples of Fruits: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Grapefruit, Grapes, Kiwi fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Papaya, Pineapple, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Tangerines

Examples of Berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries

Examples of Melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here

Fruits	Age	Daily Recommendation
Children	2-3	1 cup
	4-8	1 – 1 ½ cups
Girls	9-13	1 ½ cups
	14-18	1 ½ cups
Boys	9-13	1 ½ cups
	14-18	2 cups
Women	19-30	2 cups
	31-50	1 ½ cups
	51+	1 ½ cups
Men	19-30	2 cups
	31-50	2 cups
	51+	2 cups

Dairy

Choose low-fat, fat-free, and dairy free options which include soy, hemp, rice and nut (almond, hazelnut) milks.

1 Cup = 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese.

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here

Dairy	Age	Daily Recommendation
Children	2-3	2 cups
	4-8	2 ½ cups
Girls	9-13	3 cups
	14-18	3 cups
Boys	9-13	3 cups
	14-18	3 cups
Women	19-30	3 cups
	31-50	3 cups
	51+	3 cups
Men	19-30	3 cups
	31-50	3 cups
	51+	3 cups

Proteins

It is very easy to exceed your daily recommended amount for proteins, so keep an eye on the portion size of your proteins. Once or twice a week, opt to consume a vegetarian diet.

1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds.

Examples of proteins:

Meats:

Lean cuts of: beef, ham, lamb, pork, veal

         Game Meats: bison, rabbit, venison

Lean Ground Meats: beef, pork, lamb

Poultry:

chicken, duck, goose, turkey, ground chicken and turkey

Eggs:

chicken eggs, duck eggs

Seafood:

Finfish: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, pollock, porgy, salmon, sea bass, snapper, swordfish, trout, tuna

Shellfish:clams, crab, crayfish, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, squid (calamari), shrimp

Canned Seafood: anchovies, clams, tuna, sardines

Nuts and Seeds: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), mixed nuts, peanuts (legume), peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts

Beans and Peas: bean burgers, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), falafel, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans (mature), navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, white beans

Processed Soy Products: tofu (bean curd made from soybeans), veggie burgers, tempeh, texturized vegetable protein (TVP) – Be sure to read all labels to make sure the products are gluten-free

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here

Proteins	Age	Daily Recommendation
Children	2-3	2 ounces
	4-8	4 ounces
Girls	9-13	5 ounces
	14-18	5 ounces
Boys	9-13	5 ounces
	14-18	6 ½ ounces
Women	19-30	5 ½ ounces
	31-50	5 ounces
	51+	5 ounces
Men	19-30	6 ½ ounces
	31-50	6 ounces
	51+	5 ½ ounces

Oils

Flat Classifications: Unsaturated (Mono, Poly [Omega 3 and Omega 6]) = healthier lipids and liquid at room temperature. Saturated = not healthy and solid at room temperature.

Sources of Unsaturated Fats: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil (mono-unsaturated), fish, seeds, safflower oil, vegetable oil, and sunflower oil (poly-unsaturated).Unsaturated fats help to increase HDL Cholesterol (Good! This helps remove cholesterol from the blood which and also help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease) and helps to decrease LDL Cholesterol (Bad! Excess can build up in your arteries and may lead to heart disease).

Sources of Saturated Fats: lard, butter, fairy, poultry fat, pork fat, tropical oils, cheese, animal fats. Saturated Fats increase LDL Cholesterol and leaves HDL Cholesterol unchanged.

Trans-Fats increase LDL Cholesterol and decreases HDL Cholesterol.

Avoid hydrogenated fats! The process turns unsaturated fats into a saturated fats, and may contain trans fatty acids. Sources include processed baked goods, margarine, and shortenings.

1 Teaspoon = 1 serving

Daily Recommendations (appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs). For more information regarding what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains please click here

Oils	Age	Daily Allowance
Children	2-3	3 teaspoons
	4-8	4 teaspoons
Girls	9-13	5 teaspoons
	14-18	5 teaspoons
Boys	9-13	5 teaspoons
	14-18	6 teaspoons
Women	19-30	6 teaspoons
	31-50	5 teaspoons
	51+	5 teaspoons
Men	19-30	7 teaspoons
	31-50	6 teaspoons
	51+	6 teaspoons