Here is a continuation of the previous post on Transition Foods.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
It is recommended that you consume at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetable each day. One serving of fruit is equal to one medium size of fruit or half a cup of cubed fruit or berries. One serving of vegetable is equal to half cup cooked vegetable or 1 cup of raw vegetable.
Different colors of fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients so it is important that you include a wide variety of colors into your diet.
- Blue and Purple fruits and vegetables such as eggplants, blueberries and blackberries can help you maintain a lower risk of some cancers, memory function, healthy aging and urinary tract health.
- Green fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, peas, celery, cabbage, limes, pears and kiwi can help you maintain a lower risk of some cancers, vision health as well as strong bones and teeth
- White fruits and vegetables such as cauliflowers, garlic, mushrooms, onions, white corn, bananas or white peaches can help maintain heart health, cholesterol levels that are healthy, and a lower risk of some cancers.
- Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, yellow squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apricots, mangoes, pineapples, lemons or oranges can help maintain a healthy immune system as well as heart health, vision health and a lower risk of some cancers.
- Red fruits and vegetables such as beets, radishes, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries and watermelons can help maintain heart health, memory function, urinary tract health as well as a lower risk of some cancers.
When choosing what to eat, opt for fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables without added fat or sauce. At this point, you may already add all vegetables back into your diet. Even those that contain high levels of carbohydrates such as corn, peas and potatoes. Keep in mind that all vegetables are healthy. They provide fiber to help fill you up, are low in calories and are packed with the needed vitamins and minerals.
FATS AND OTHER FOODS
Here’s a quick guide for consuming fats -
- choose more monounsaturated fats
- moderate amounts of polyunsaturated fat
- less saturated fats for improved heart health.
When choosing what to eat,
- Opt for margarine that is free of Trans fats instead of butter.
- Opt for oils that are high in Omega-3 such as canola and soybean oil instead of palm, palm kernel or coconut oil.
- Opt for other oils such as peanut oil or olive oil instead of solid shortening.
- Choose small amounts of nuts and seeds instead of chocolate and high-calorie desserts.
- Choose calorie-free beverages instead of sugary drinks.
An example of one serving of monounsaturated fat would be:
- 1 tsp olive or canola oil
- 8 large black olives
- 10 large pimento-stuffed green olives
- 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
- 6 almonds or mixed nuts
- 10 peanuts
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/8 avocado
An example of one serving of polyunsaturated fat would be
- 2 Tbsp low-fat dressing
- 1 tsp mayo
- 1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayo
- 2 walnuts
- 2 tsp Miracle Whip salad dressing
- 1 Tbsp reduced-fat Miracle Whip
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp trans-fat free margarine
An example of one serving of saturated fat would be
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 Tbsp cream (or Half and Half)
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 3 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
- 1 slice bacon
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