While taste still ranks high among reasons for food preference, nutrition is gaining attention due to diners’ increased awareness about wellness, and how diet plays a big part in their health and lifespans.
Contributing factors to health consciousness
Here are the health factors that are shaping society’s view towards health consciousness:
- Food and drug authorities are becoming more aggressive in identifying healthy and unhealthy foods.
- Food-related studies are educating people on the merits of food or ingredients.
- There’s an increase in diners who can afford healthier meals.
- The media has become influential in encouraging healthy dining and the consequences of unhealthy eating.
Because of this increased concern over healthy eating, food service professionals have a responsibility to:
- Educate our diners on the value of good nutrition.
- Provide our diners with healthier menu options.
- Effectively show that nutritious food can be equally exciting and tasty.
In order to create a nutritious, balanced menu, we need to know the basics of healthy eating. We’ll be looking at the 2 basic guides below to plan and prepare healthy meals.
My plate
Published by the Harvard School of Public Health, this guide shows an overview of a plate and the recommended portion size of each dish element to create a healthy eating plate.
My pyramid
Next, let’s look at the USDA Pyramid guide of healthy eating. This shows the recommended types of food to eat in order to maintain a healthy daily intake for a 2,000 calorie diet.
- Grains – 6 ounces or 1 cup of rice, noodles or cereals daily
- Vegetables – 2.5 cups of vegetables daily
- Fruits – 2 cups of fruits daily
- Fats and oils – Limit daily intake
- Milk – 3 cups of low or fat-free milk daily
- Meat, fish, eggs and beans – 5.5 ounces of low-fat or lean meat daily
