night’ s leftovers. Whatever choices you make will have an effect, and if the effect is what you want, fine; if it is not, you have the freedom to change your choices. Guilt usually arises when transgressions go unpunished; in the case of food choices, it is unnecessary because if you make mistakes, you will inevitably get caught. If you must be very strict about what you eat, you’ ll be happier staying home. Eating out is usually a social event, a means of exchanging energy with the world around us. Do the best you can to make sensible food choices, but don’ t agonize too much, neither feel put upon if the food isn’ t perfect; just chew it well, enjoy the occasion, and be grateful for what you’ ve got. For the Dietitian and the Health Professional: Nutrition in Numbers The nutrition guidelines of various official agencies invariably tell us how much of each nutrient we should consume per day: so many grams or miligrams per pound of body weight, taking into account age, sex, and special conditions such as pregnancy or lactation. The“ Dietary Goals Report,” together with its critics and amenders, as well as the Pritikin Program, all speak of the percentage of calories provided by the various nutrients in the diet. The macrobiotic approach suggests consuming various foods according to their percentage by volume in the daily diet. For the cook, these extensive charts of numbers are extremely confusing to translate into edible meals. It has occurred to me, as I was wrestling with the numbers, that the two scientific models could very easily be integrated with my own“ proportion of nutrients” charts, so as to offer an ideal model against which to compare the nutritive adequacy of each meal. To that effect, I worked out seven guidelines for menu planning which I hope will be useful to those who plan menus in hospitals, institutions, and restaurants. These guidelines are based on the premise that the principal goal of a well-balanced menu is to provide optimum nutrition, minimum waste, no foods that deplete nutrients nor provide empty calories, and to leave the food consumer with a sense of balanced satisfaction, comfortable energy, and no cravings. Meals that meet these criteria will be cost effective; they will also attract repeat business to the commercial establishments that offer them, because they will make people feel good.
SEVEN GUIDELINES FOR MENU PLANNING 1. Plan the following percentages of calories to be provided by Protein: 10 – 12 % Fat: 20 – 25 % Starch( complex carbohydrates): 60 – 70 % 2. Consequently, plan the following proportions of nutrients by weight:
• FAT should be double the calories of PROTEIN, therefore there should be equal amounts by weight( 1:1)
• STARCH should be about five times the calories of PROTEIN, thus five times the weight( 5:1)
3. Plan the following maximum amount of
• FATS: 2 – 3 teaspoons per meal per person( 25 – 30 gr.)
• SALT: 1 / 4 teaspoon per meal per person( 1 g.)
• SUGAR( refined): 1 / 4 teaspoon per meal per person( 1 g.) 4. Use whole grains as your preferred source of starches, or complex carbohydrates. Second best are starchy vegetables; third best are potatoes. Only as a last resort choose refined grains such as pasta or white rice. 5. Use mostly fresh or dried foods. Avoid foods that have undergone extensive technological processing as much as possible. Avoid the use of chemical preservatives, such as sulphites, on raw foods and salads. 6. Offer ingredients and cooking styles in season; that is, raw and tropical produce in hot weather, steaming soups and stews in the winter. 7. Offer at least one dairy free, unsweetened cooked fruit dessert for those who want it or those who refrain from eating wheat and / or dairy and / or sugar. The above guidelines will ensure a satisfying meal with little incentive for binging or“ cheating,” provided of course that all the ingredients are whole, natural foods, without chemicals or sugar. REMEMBER THESE SIMPLE NOTIONS: For low sodium meals, instead of focusing all the fear on the salt, watch for hidden sodium in little suspect food: dairy products, especially cheese; baked goods with sodium bicarbonate in the baking powder; and commercial foods containing various preservatives, additives, and stabilizers with sodium compounds( sodium citrate, sodium silico aluminate, and the like). For low-fat meals, simply eliminate dairy products altogether, avoid fried foods, fatty meats, heavy dressings, and you’ re on your way.