My Salad Creation

 I just wanted to share with you a special salad I created last year. It has some strange combinations and it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it. It has a very surprising dressing! I hope you enjoy my slideshow.






You can always substitute the nuts and dried fruit for whatever kind of nuts and fruit you enjoy. You can also use any kind of honey you like. I hope this inspired you to make your own salad that is special to you!

The Protein Group

There are so many sources of protein available in our country. All the subgroups of meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group. Great sources of meat are beef, ham, pork, and lamb. Examples of poultry are chicken, turkey, duck, or goose. Soy products have good sources like tofu and veggie burgers. Any kind of nut or seed, like walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, or almonds counts as a good example of protein. Then there are different types of seafood that are great sources of protein, like crap, lobster, tuna, and salmon. Men ages 19-30 need to eat six and a half ounces a day of some source of protein. Women in the same age category need to only eat five and a half ounces a day. This is really easy for most Americans to eat more protein than they need daily. Usually Americans eat way too much protein and not enough fruit and veggies. According to the chart provided by Choose My Plate, it tells you to weight your protein to figure out how much is an ounce. I know that is not an option for most of us. However, it does provide with some examples as to what things are equal to an ounce. One sandwich slice of turkey (4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1/8”), or one egg, or a ¼ cup of cooked beans or peas are all equivalent to an ounce.

Additionally, the website provides the health and nutritional benefits of eating protein. All the different subgroups of protein supply many nutrients like, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6), vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for enzymes, hormones, and vitamins. Proteins as I mentioned earlier in my older posts, are one of three nutrients that provide calories. B vitamins found in this food group serve a variety of functions in the body. They help the body release energy, play a vital role in the function of the nervous system, aid in the formation of red blood cells, and help build tissues. Cholesterol is only found in foods from animal sources. Some foods from this group are high in cholesterol. These include egg yolks and organ meats such as liver and giblets. To help keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, limit the amount of these foods you eat. Instead of eating eggs yolks all the time, try eating egg whites, which are cholesterol free! Here are some tips to eat the right kinds of proteins:

·         Always choose the lean option! Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.

·         Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.

·         Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.

·         Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.

·         Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.

·         Vary your protein choices!

 

·         Choose seafood at least twice a week as the main protein food. Look for seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring.

There are also tips for vegetarians available on the website if you are interested in looking at these.

The Grains food group

It is time to discuss the grain food group. My information about this group comes again from Choose My Plate. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products. The grain food group has two subgroups called the whole grains and the refined grains. Whole grains consist of whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and oatmeal because they contain the entire grain kernel. Refined grains do not contain the whole kernel and are made to last longer. White rice, white bread, and white flour are examples of refined grains. According to the website is BETTER to WHOLE GRAINS instead of refined grains. This is a chart to help people find their daily recommendation of grain intakes. For women ages 19-30 it recommends six ounces daily and for men ages 19-30 it is eight ounces. I know it might be hard to think about how many ounces you’re eating, but here’s what counts as an ounce. One slice of bread counts as one ounce, one small flour tortilla (6" diameter) is one ounce, and one large bagel is equal to four ounces. If you are unsure about what counts as an ounce, please look at the chart. It will provide some helpful answers.

Eating whole grains provides many nutritional health benefits. Here are a few of them:

·         Consuming whole grains as part of a healthy diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease.

·         Eating whole grains may help with weight management. (This totally surprised me!)

·         Eating grain products fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development.

·         Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and selenium.

·         Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber-containing whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. (SWEET!)

If you have trouble with getting whole grains into your diet here are some tips to help. Remeber whole grains are better than refined grains. You should always try to eat whole grains!

1. Substitute a whole grain product for a refined product by eating whole wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice.

2. Try substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin or other flour-based recipes.

3. Most importantly choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, whole-grain barley, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat, and wild rice.