|
Page 3 of 4
Food Group
Children (2- 6 years),
women, some older non-active adults (about 1,600 calories) older children,
teenage girls, active women, most men (about 2,200 calories) Teen boys,
active men (about 2,800 calories) Grains 6 9 11 vegetables 3 4
5
Fruits 2 3 4 Meats 2 (total of 5 ounces) 2 (total of 6 ounces) 3 (total
of 7 ounces) Your worst enemies, Fats and sugars: Fast food restaurants are
emerging all over the kingdom and with that there is an increased risk of
Saudi’s changing their eating habits to involve more fat. It is this
phenomenon in the United States of America that has let to obesity in
American adults and children. Avoid consuming foods that are high in fats such
as French fries and burgers. Everyone can certainly enjoy a fast food meal
but remember to make that as a special treat rather than a daily ritual. We
all need to limit our fat intake to approximately 30% of our total calories,
which is equivalent to 53 grams of fat for a person with 1,600
calorie
requirement, 73 grams for a person with 2,200 calorie requirement, or
93 grams of fat for 2,800 calorie diet. Fats in foods is a mixture of thee
types of fatty acids: Saturated, Mono-saturated, and Poly-saturated. Some food
has a higher proportion of one type of fat versus the other. For example,
Saturated fats are highest in meat, dairy products, and some vegetables
fats.
Monounsaturated fats are highest in olive, peanut, and canola oils and
polyunsaturated fats are highest in sunflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed oils
and some fish. Avoid eating saturated fat since it can raise blood
cholesterol levels and subsequently may increase the risk for heart disease.
It is therefore recommended to limit your intake of saturated fat to
less than 10 percent of your total daily caloric intake.
Also try to limit
your sugar intake. Sugar provides calories but no nutritional benefits.
Limit your added sugar to about 6 teaspoons a day if you consume 1,600
calories per day, 12 teaspoons at 2,200 calories, and 18 teaspoons at 2,800 calories. Saudi’s consume many cups of tea so try to limit your added sugar
in the tea or gradually reduce the sugar in your tea to a point where you
will no longer added in your tea of coffee.
The bottom line on healthy eating
and habits: Now that you have learned about the Food guide Pyramid, there are
few things to keep in mind in achieving a healthy eating habits and a healthy
body Eat a variety of foods: It is important to remember that no single
food group will provide all of the nutrients you need for a healthy body so a
combination of foods is the ideal way to ensure that you are treating your
body right. An ideal diet is one that is rich in grains, low in
fats and
sugars.
|
