When you hear the word “diet,” what comes to mind? For some, people restricting their intake of food for the purpose of losing weight comes to mind. However, that’s not necessarily what “diet” means. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the word “diet” has four definitions:
- food and drink regularly provided or consumed
- habitual nourishment
- the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason
- a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight
People often think of the fourth definition. However, as the dictionary states, “diet” can also mean the consumption of specific foods. For example, the keto diet consists of eating high-fat, low-carbohydrate foods in order to reach ketosis, where the body uses fat for fuel, instead of glucose, a sugar, for the purposes of treating epilepsy. Veganism and vegetarianism are also considered diets.
These are just examples of diets, but really, a diet doesn’t have to be grand. By implementing small healthy choices in your diet, you can improve your health, energy, and lower the risk of certain diseases.
What should a healthy diet consist of? There are five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Your daily consumption of food should consist of 50% fruits and vegetables (about 15% fruits and 35% vegetables), 25% grains, 25% proteins, and some dairy.
Another way to think of it is to imagine a plate. Split the plate in half, so there is a left and right side. On the right half, split it in half. These two halves on the right half are your proteins and grains. On the left side, split it, so the ratio of fruits to vegetables is 1:2. Ultimately, you should get the most vegetables, then proteins and grains, then fruits. You should also have some dairy and of course water.
What happens if I don’t eat this ratio? What if I eat more grains than vegetables or more proteins than grains? It all depends. There are many different combinations of foods you can lack, so I’ll give you the purpose of each food group, examples of each food group, and the consequences of not eating enough of each food group.
- Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. Nutrients include fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins A and C. To get more nutrients, you may want to try nutrient dense fruits and vegetables and fruits and vegetables of different colors. Nutrient dense fruits include berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They also include avocado, pomegranate, kiwi, papaya, and apple. On the other hand, nutrient dense vegetables include watercress, Chinese cabbage, chard, beet greens, and spinach. There are many different fruits and vegetables, so you can try a couple out every week to see what you like!
What happens if I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables? Low consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked with an increased risk of several human chronic slow progressing diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, certain cancers, and higher mortality. Nearly 8 million premature deaths every year are linked to a low fruit and vegetable intake of below 800 g per day.
2. Grains
Grains have nutrients, such as fiber, that help lower bad cholesterol levels, raise good cholesterol levels, lower insulin levels, lower blood pressure. Grains also help lower the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer, cancer of the large intestine and rectum. So how can I get my grain intake? Nutrient dense grains include barley, quinoa, black rice, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole-wheat flour, whole-grain breakfast cereals, and whole-wheat bread, pasta or crackers. You may want to try a new breakfast cereal or change up the type of bread or rice you consume.
Some people may have a grain free diet if they have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that mistakes gluten as a threat. Additionally, a grain-free diet may reduce inflammation, aid weight loss, improve digestion and blood sugar levels, promote mental health, and alleviate pain in people with fibromyalgia or endometriosis. However, a lack of grains in your diet may also increase the risk of constipation and may reduce nutrient intake, as whole grains contain many nutrients, such as fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium.
If you want to know specifically how much nutrients you are getting from grains, especially because many grains lose their nutrients during processing, you may want to check the label on the box called “Nutrition Facts,” where it can tell you what nutrients are present in the food. Whenever I’m buying food with the label, I check the label to ensure that I’m getting the ratio of nutrients I desire.
3. Proteins
Proteins consist of amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in total. Eleven of these amino acids can be made by your body; however, 9 of these amino acids cannot be made by the body. These 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids because you need to get these amino acids through your diet, specifically your protein. Amino acids are used to build and repair muscles and bones, make hormones and enzymes, and can also be used as an energy source. High-protein foods include beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, lean meats (such as chicken and turkey), fish (such as salmon and tuna), tofu, eggs, and dairy products.
If you don’t get enough protein in your diet, you may experience wasting and shrinkage of muscle tissue, oedema (build-up of fluids, particularly in the feet and ankles), anaemia (the blood’s inability to deliver sufficient oxygen to the cell), and slow growth, especially in children. However, if you consume too much protein, between 200 and 400 g per day, you can strain your kidneys and liver and cause excessive loss of the mineral calcium, which can increase your risk of osteoporosis.
4. Dairy
Dairy has many important nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. Dairy is important for growing and maintaining healthy bones and teeth, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. Examples of dairy include milk, soy milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.
Not getting enough dairy can lead to osteoporosis, the weakening of the bones, which can lead to bone fractures, and can lead to insufficient intake of protein. As previously mentioned, inadequate consumption of protein can lead to many health problems.
Conclusion
When I first heard about this ratio and the food groups I should have in my diet, I was surprised especially because I used to always eat plain rice and meat, and the ratio of rice to meat was about 2:1. However, once I started to change the ratios of my food and added much more vegetables and drank more milk, I forgot about the days I used to be sick. If you also are interested in improving your health, you may want to try changing one part of your diet by either changing to an alternative such as white rice to brown rice or by adding something more to your plate, such as watercress or spinach! Just by adding another item in your cart next time at the grocery store, you can improve your health one step at a time.