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| My Personal Eating Habits |
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I have hammered problem foodstuffs like sugar rather hard in recent columns, with good reason, because they can cause real health problems. Readers may wonder how careful I am about such foods myself, so I decided to make my personal eating habits the subject of my column today.
Breakfast is an important meal for everyone. I love it because it gets me off to a great start for the day. Here is what my breakfast included today: One eight-ounce glass of orange juice; a bowl of cereal that included one-third cup grape-nuts, one cup of shredded wheat with a quarter cup of raisins mixed in, all topped with a sliced banana and cracked walnuts; one cup of organic, fat-free milk; four pitted prunes; a slice of whole-wheat toast covered lightly with Olivio spread and natural strawberry jam (no added sugar); and one cup of hot tea.
Lunch is usually my lightest meal. Today it included one sandwich consisting of chickpea hummus and lettuce between two slices of whole-wheat bread, half of a large Gala apple, an ounce of lightly salted mixed nuts, and a large glass of water.
Carol was out, so supper was on my own. It included a plate of hot steamed veggies, a side garden salad, a slice of whole-wheat bread with Olivio spread on it lightly, a slice of cantaloupe, and a large glass of water (our large glasses hold about sixteen ounces.)
The salad consisted of torn lettuce leaves, one stalk of celery, one good-sized radish, one sixth of a medium cucumber, four grape tomatoes, and one slice of green bell pepper. The celery, radish, cucumber, and bell pepper were all chopped. Seasoning included balsamic vinegar and olive oil drizzled on the salad and Dulse sea-veggie flakes sprinkled over all.
My plate of veggies, steamed for twenty minutes, included two medium potatoes, one large carrot, one quarter of a large sweet Texas onion, two broccoli segments, and two white mushrooms. The potatoes were quartered and the carrot sliced and cut into sixteen pieces. I seasoned all of this with Dulse sea-veggie flakes and a sprinkling of Greek seasoning. (As a sidelight, I think a vegetable steamer is the most useful cooking utensil in the kitchen.)
What were the nutritional highlights of these meals? On the positive side, I had ten servings of fruit and vegetables for the day, not counting the potatoes. (Potatoes have nutritional value but are not usually added into the veggie count.) My total protein intake was well over thirty grams, even though I had no meat or fish, and my fiber intake was excellent. Thanks to all the veggies and fruit, my potassium intake was greater than my sodium intake.
Because I avoided foods with a strong negative impact, my intake of saturated fat, sugar, and white flour was low. (Combinations of sugar, white flour, and saturated fat may be the worst food combinations for health. Unfortunately, they are all too common in our supermarkets and in the typical American diet.)
Two questions remain: Were today’s meals really typical for me, and do I really like them? You have to take my word for it, but yes, today’s meal were typical, and I love them. |