Patricia Thompson - NUTRITION TALK BASED ON last week's article, you may have the impression that proper food combining requires knowledge about nutrient values of individual foods. This has been made easier for us by nutritionists and dieticians through the use of the food group system.
Foods are classified into groups based on their similarity in macro-nutrient content that is, the amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat. The system of combining food groups rather than individual foods is known as the multimix principle.
The multimix principle is a guideline for combining foods from complementary food groups to assure nutritional balance. In the Caribbean, we use six food groups and these are Staples, Foods from Animals, Legumes, Vegetables, Fats and Fruits. The first four groups form the basis of the multimix method of meal planning and are called the foundation food groups.
A multimix meal must have a Staple food providing starch, such as bread, breadfruit, green banana, rice or pasta. The simplest combination is called a two-mix because it uses only two food groups. The second food group along with the Staple food could be either from the Food from Animals or the Legumes. If the second food is from the Food from Animals group, then the Staple food could be either a provision such as yam or potato or from a cereal grain such as rice, wheat or corn.
For a vegetarian meal, the Legumes would be used but in this case the Staple food should be from a cereal grain for example bread and baked beans or a peanut butter sandwich. If the two foods used belong to the same food group as with a plantain and bread sandwich, this is not considered an appropriate two-mix meal.
Adding a third food group to the meal makes it into a three-mix meal. Various combinations are possible such as:
Staple + Legume + Vegetable (Vegetarian)
Staple + Food from Animal + Vegetable
Staple + Food from Animal + Legume
If all four foundation groups are used together, this is called a four-mix meal that is, Staple + Food from Animal + Legume + Vegetable.
MEAL PLANNING
Meal planning is a very complex process that requires planning meals for a whole day at a time or maybe even a week to ensure good nutrition. Some foods are so rich in nutrients that they need only be included once a week. Beef liver for example, has enough vitamin A to meet adult needs for a whole week if only one 'helping' is taken weekly.
We not only put foods together but we must decide on the appropriate quantities to be prepared, the cooking methods to be used and how these will be served. You can start however, by practising on a meal-by-meal basis using the multimix principle.
Fats are generally included in meals to supplement the caloric needs of active persons and to enhance taste. A general guideline is that no more than two to three teaspoons oil or the equivalent of three portions of fat should be eaten for every 1000 calories taken. Your nutritionist or dietician would help you decide how many calories are appropriate to meet your daily needs.
Foods taken by themselves or with non-complementary foods are usually eaten as snacks. Snacks should be designed to correct any short-fall in energy or nutrients not provided by the meals that may occur during the day. Fruits usually make good snacks since they provide certain vitamins like vitamin C and carotene that may be lacking in typical meals. The appropriate combination of meals and snacks will make the total diet.
Patricia Thompson M.Sc. is a Registered Nutritionist at The Nutrition Centre, Eden Gardens.
