The seven food groups, and how to make healthier food choices

THE SEVEN FOOD GROUPS

The foods have been cataloged in 7 different groups by the National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition  (INRAN) together with the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU). At the basis of this classification there is an in-depth analysis of foods and a study of the nutritional value of each of them. Knowing the caloric intake of food is important in order to be able to choose a healthy and varied diet and not only when following a controlled diet.

The first rule for a correct diet is to be able to eat 7 foods at least once a day, one per group. And it is precisely on this fundamental principle, as well as many others, that the diet that the nutritionist generally proposes is based. The ideal would be to indicate the group and the portions of food allowed and to allow the patient to choose the food he prefers. In this way following a diet will not be too sacrificing but even pleasant.

HEALTHIER GROCERY SHOPPING GUIDE

This guide will help you choose which foods are healthiest and best suited to your needs or diet

Following a healthy and balanced diet is the best way to safeguard our health, and in all probability the most effective form of prevention  that exists.

Healthy eating: the recommendations of the American Heart Association

The harmful effects of sugar have been debated for some time , particularly in very young children .

In August 2016, the American Heart Association published a statement entitled “Added sugars and cardiovascular risk in children” , providing three very important indications:

1. Sugar should not be added to foods and drinks intended for children in the first two years of life;
2. Don’t allow children and adolescents to consume more than one can of sugary drink a week;
3. Do not take more than 25 g of sugar per day in total , including, therefore, also the sugars present in industrial products.

At the basis of this study there is a very simple principle, which is that all the foods ingested and appreciated by children in the first year of life will most likely become the most loved foods in the future .

Let us therefore remember that a sweet food does not necessarily have to be a food with sugar added later. Let’s get our children used to the natural flavors of the products they ingest .

Healthy eating: the quality of the food is fundamental

We often tend to associate healthy eating with calorie reduction or a slimming diet, but this is not the case .

Reducing calories, but continuing to consume refined and processed foods, will not improve the health of our body.

Healthy eating: what we need

If there are foods to avoid,  it is obvious that there are also foods to prefer , capable of improving our diet and bringing considerable advantages to our state of health.

The question to ask therefore becomes  what our body needs to reduce the risks of metabolic and non-communicable diseases.

In fact, prevention for men  as well as prevention for women and children requires some precautions in relation to nutrition.

In this it may be useful to follow the indications contained in the European Code Against Cancer , which is well suited to wider needs in terms of nutrition.

• A healthy diet  should include a high consumption of whole grains, seasonal fruit and vegetables, cooked and raw;
• The consumption of bread and bakery products made with refined flours should be reduced, preferring wholemeal flours;
• Unlike bread, pasta , especially the wholemeal one, releases sugars slowly, avoiding excessively raising the blood sugar in our blood. A valid alternative remains unpolished rice, i.e. not deprived of the germ;
• We replace sugary drinks with fruit and vegetable centrifuges, infusions and herbal teas, which promote digestion and often have anti-inflammatory effects;
• Let’s reduce the consumption of meat – especially red meat, rich in iron, therefore oxidizing – and sausages, rich in fat and salt . When eating red meat it is recommended to add a nice side dish of vegetables, which have antioxidant properties;
• Limit animal products ;
• Alternate cow’s milk with soy or rice milk;
• Limit industrial products, rich in fats, sugars and salt.
• Vary our daily diet a lot, to avoid eating the same foods over and over again.
  

Healthy eating: change gradually

Drastic diets, immediate changes , can produce traumatic effects on our body and on our psyche.

This is why it is not recommended to change food from evening to morning , our body needs to get used to it gradually.

For example, if we are not used to consuming lots of vegetables, legumes or whole grains, we could experience intestinal and digestive disorders in the following days.

This makes us understand that a healthy diet must be followed constantly , not in alternating phases, and must be associated with the search for quality foods and products, daily physical activity and a predisposition to change.