National Nutrition Week | Six steps to eat smartly, eat right and stay healthy

Eating at home is the best opportunity to maintain healthy eating habits. However, looking at our three meals a day, some may be full of fish and meat all day, while others may just be porridge, steamed buns and pickles, which is enough for a day. How can we make our diet nutritious and share health and deliciousness? The answer lies in the "balanced diet plate" recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents".

Learn the six steps to match your plate, let nutrition enter your plate, and eat delicious and healthy food.

1. Food should be varied and in appropriate proportions

Separating meals is a good way to measure nutritional balance. Prepare a plate and a bowl of appropriate size for each family member, and divide the cooked meals into the plates, as shown in the above figure. It is best to divide the meals prepared for each meal into grids by category, and do not leave any grid empty. You can refer to the following matching suggestions and practice first.

Tips: Sharing food is not easy, try to take the first step!

2. Cereals and potatoes are indispensable, with whole grains accounting for 30%

Whether it is a bowl of rice, a steamed bun, or even a piece of sweet potato, each meal should be able to fit into a compartment on the plate.

Always store some whole grains and beans at home. When steaming rice, at least one-third of the rice can be replaced with whole grains such as brown rice, millet, corn, oats, etc., or beans such as red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, etc. You can also cut sweet potatoes and pumpkins into small pieces and cook them with rice; when making pasta, try to use whole wheat flour, or mix some other grain powders with the flour. Try to change different whole grains every day, from a little to a lot, so that your family can gradually get used to the taste of whole grains.

Bread and biscuits baked with whole wheat flour are also good choices. Try to reduce desserts and snacks made with refined white flour.

Tips: Dumplings, wontons, buns or pies are all staple foods with fillings wrapped in skin.

3. Eat vegetables at every meal and fruits every day

Half of the plate, two compartments, should be filled with vegetables and fruits. If there are no fruits, replace them with vegetables. Try fruits and vegetables of various colors and textures, use your imagination and creativity, and use healthy and competent cooking methods, steaming, frying, roasting or eating them raw. For breakfast, you can choose more vegetables that are easy to eat raw, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, celery, and lettuce. For lunch and dinner, choose more leafy vegetables, especially dark-colored (dark green, red, purple, orange, etc.) vegetables, which should account for more than half.

If you don't want to spend more time preparing, try a vegetable salad, a mixed vegetable dish, or chop and shred carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and onions to make a vegetable soup, or skewer the vegetables and roast them in the oven.

Eat a serving of fruit at any of the three meals, or as a snack. For example, add some diced fruit to milk, yogurt, or oatmeal for dessert. Wash and cut the fruit, and place it where everyone in the house can reach it for easy consumption.

Tips: Go to the vegetable market with your family to learn more about vegetables and fruits and try more new varieties.

4. Eat fish, meat, eggs, milk and beans, but don’t be too greedy

The last grid contains animal foods and soy products. Don’t be greedy and just make sure you have a palm-sized portion for each meal.

For breakfast, you can choose a boiled egg and a glass of milk. Don't throw away the egg yolk when eating eggs. Livestock and poultry meat and aquatic products can be arranged for lunch and dinner. Eat meat today and fish tomorrow. You don't have to eat them every day. Try to replace a few meals of meat with soy products. Eat aquatic products at least twice a week.

Eat lean meat and less fat, and it is best to remove the skin from chicken and duck. Try to use less processed meat products, learn some cooking skills, and invest in some suitable cooking tools. Cooking will become very simple, and you can cook healthy and delicious dishes without recipes.

Tips: Learn some recipes that combine meat and vegetables so that you can eat meat and vegetables at the same time.

5. Reduce oil, salt and sugar to improve health

When cooking at home, try to use fresh ingredients and use less or no oil, salt or sugar. Keep an oil and salt control spoon ready in the kitchen. No more than 25-30 grams of cooking oil and 5 grams of salt per person per day. Use in limited amounts according to the number of people eating at home and the number of meals.

Use less oil for frying and more steaming, boiling and stewing. When you first start to adjust your low-salt diet, you may find it bland, but don't worry, it will take a little time for your taste buds to like low-salt foods.

You can also try to mix some salt-free seasonings yourself, such as herbs, spices, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, lemon juice, etc. When cooking, add some tomatoes and mushrooms as side dishes, or even sprinkle some unsalted nuts, which can bring more flavor. Avoid cooking methods that add extra sugar, such as braised, sweet and sour, and candied.

Tips: Eat less processed foods and use seasonings with caution.

6. Drink 300ml of milk and plenty of water every day

Drink more than 300ml of liquid milk or eat the same amount of dairy products every day, which can be divided into three meals, such as a cup of milk for breakfast and a cup of yogurt for lunch or dinner. Soy milk or soybeans combined with any other beans and nuts can also make a delicious plant milk. Drink more boiled water and less sugary drinks. You can choose your favorite tea or coffee, and try not to add or add less sugar.

Tip: Drinking light soup can also increase your water intake.

Healthy eating does not have to be monotonous and boring. Remember the six steps to plate matching, choose your favorite food from each food category, learn some cooking skills, and your plate will be a unique and nutritious plate, and the taste of your plate will become a permanent memory for your family.

Author: Wang Xiaoli | Secretary of the Dietary Guidelines Revision Expert Committee Reviewer: Yang Xiaoguang | Vice President of the Chinese Nutrition Society, Deputy Director of the Dietary Guidelines Revision Expert Committee