bread, potatoes, and nutrition (was: Planet-Vegan events 2000!)

[Guest guest]

My advice is, when in doubt think of the 4 New Food Groups and forget the

rest...

 

 

*Vegetables - 3 or more servings a day*

Vegetables are packed with nutrients; they provide vitamin C, beta-carotene,

riboflavin, iron, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. Dark green leafy

vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens, chicory,

or bok choy are especially good sources of these important nutrients. Dark

yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and

pumpkin provide extra beta-carotene. Include generous portions of a variety of

vegetables in your diet.

Serving size: 1 cup raw vegetables; 1/2 cup cooked vegetables

 

 

*Whole Grains - 5 or more servings a day*

This group includes bread, rice, pasta, hot or cold cereal, corn, millet,

barley, bulgur, buckwheat groats, and tortillas. Build each of your meals around

a hearty grain dish—grains are rich in fiber and other

complex carbohydrates, as well as protein, B vitamins and zinc.

Serving size: 1/2 cup hot cereal; 1 ounce dry cereal; 1 slice bread

 

 

*Fruit - 3 or more servings a day*

Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Be sure to include at

least one serving each day of fruits that are high in vitamin C- citrus

fruits, melons, and strawberries are all good choices. Choose whole fruit over

fruit juices, which do not contain very much fiber.

Serving size: 1 medium piece of fruit; 1/2 cup cooked fruit; 4 ounces juice

 

 

*Legumes - 2 or more servings a day*

Legumes—which is another name for beans, peas, and lentils—are all good sources

of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins. This group also includes

chickpeas, baked and refried beans, soy milk,

tempeh, and texturized vegetable protein.

Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked beans; 4 ounces tofu or tempeh; 8 ounces soy milk

Be sure to include a good source of vitamin B12, such as fortified cereals or

vitamin supplements.

 

 

 

Many of us grew up with the USDA’s old Basic Four food groups, first introduced

in 1956. The passage of time has seen an increase in our knowledge about the

importance of fiber, the health risks of cholesterol and fats, and the

disease-preventive power of many nutrients found exclusively in plant-based

foods. We also have discovered that the plant kingdom provides excellent sources

of the nutrients once only associated with meat and dairy products—namely,

protein and calcium.

 

The USDA revised its recommendations with the Food Guide Pyramid, a food

grouping plan that reduced the serving suggestions for animal products and

vegetable fats. PCRM, determining that regular consumption of such foods—even in

lower quantities—poses serious, unnecessary health risks, developed the New Four

Food Groups in1991. This no-cholesterol, low-fat plan supplies all of an average

adult’s daily nutritional requirements, including substantial amounts of fiber.

 

The major killers of Americans—heart disease, cancer, and stroke—have a

dramatically lower incidence among people consuming primarily plant-based diets.

Weight problems—a contributor to a host of health problems—can also be brought

under control by following the New Four Food Group recommendations.

 

LOTS of good info from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at this

address:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/VSK/starterkit.html

including: Tips for Making the Switch, Protein Myth, Calcium in Plant-Based

Diets, What about Milk, Sample Menus, Cooking Without Eggs, Foods That May Be

New to You, etc.

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