Reflection time!

COOKING MAMA THINKS...

Indeed, this 3-day diet has taught me a lot more about my eating habits and the contents of the food that I consume, alerting me of what I should eat and what I shouldn't. What an eye-opener!

What have you learnt about your eating habits?

I have learnt that I eat quite healthily but not all the time and that I have to be really careful about what I eat from day to day. I should cut down on snacks as much as possible to reduce the energy and fat intake, as well as choose healthier food options, such as reduced sugar, salt and msg food alternatives!

Do you consider your diet a healthy one? Why?

I do consider my diet quite a healthy one. I have a rather balanced diet, not too much of any category but more or less consume food from the different categories as shown in the healthy diet pyramid. For instance, I do consume a regular intake of fresh green vegetables and fruits but hehe i sometimes also consume a little too much meat products such as chicken and pork, etc. This might cause a rise in my cholesterol level, which is not a very healthy way of living. But I eat consistently at regular times, hence my diet is not exactly on a "diet" like those stick-thin models, which is good(:

Are the suggested nutritional tools useful? How?

The suggested nutritional tools are useful to give us a better idea of our food content, whether it is healthy or whether we have sufficient intake of nutrition. This helps us to be better able to control and regulate our dietary requirements to suit our needs. However, they are quite difficult to use such as keying in the names of some dishes and ingredients, thus producing results and analysis that might not be so accurate. Also, the long loading time and lack of a wider food database hampens the process.

Why is your suggested one-dish meal healthy?

My suggested one-dish meal is healthy because it is not only filling but also ensures that the diet is balanced and that all nutrition is absorbed. The wholemeal bread is multi-grain, which is a muchh better substitute than just plain bread as it is high in nutritious fibre. On the other hand, the warm milk provides a source of calcium to build strong bones while the freshly-blended fruit juice gives sufficient vitamins. The hard-boiled egg is also a healthier alternative to frying egg with bread as it is boiled and will contain less oil. Hence, my suggested dish is healthier and contains less calories, less cholesterol and provides a more healthy, balanced breakfast:D

A HEALTHIER one-dish meal

COOKING MAMA RECOMMENDATION ALERT!!

One dish that I would like to modify is the breakfast on the 3rd day, which is the french toast with warm milk and fruit juice. French toast is made by frying egg with white bread, which contains a lot of sugar, protein and cholesterol which is bad for health. Hence, I am suggesting a one-dish meal that is healthy and can replace this into a heartier, healthier breakfast!













What I have chosen is 2 pieces of wholemeal bread, to go with a cup of warm milk, freshly-blended fruit juice and a bowl of hard-boiled eggs. Multigrain is a healthier and better choice compared to plain grain as it contains more nutritious fibre. Also, the warm milk will provide the much-needed calcium for a growing child/woman at the start of the day while the freshly-blended fruit juice will provide vitamin C and other important vitamins! Surely, this is a healthier choice and in addition, the hard-boiled egg is boiled, instead of being fried like french toast, hence it is less oily and contains less cholesterol.

Overall, this looks like a more nutritious, more healthy breakfast compared to just plain, fried french toast:D

Analysis of diet (cont'd)

The analysis of my diet based on the health tools provided declared that I needed more exercise and what I was eating was unhealthy. This may be true but not entirely true as some food items were unable to be keyed in due to unavailable resources on the website. Hence, the readings may not be accurate because most of the food I consumed was home-cooked food which include reduced salt, sugar and no msg:D However, I agree on the aspect of exercising more, personallyXD.

After looking through the analysis though, I've discovered that actually Lor mee is very unhealthy, so is pineapple rice. They contain high amounts of carbohydrate and the pineapple rice especially, contained high amounts of cholesterol, which might contribute to heart diseases in the future. But the good thing about my diet, is that the food is mostly home-cooked by DA COOKING MAMA, hence the assessment offered by the tools may not be accurate in this case as the amount of sugar, salt and other ingredients can be controlled if cooked at home. This include no addition of artifical flavouring or otherwise known as msg.

On a personal level of analysis, I think that what I am eating is rather healthy as I have a regular intake of brown rice everyday, which is a healthy grain. Also, I need meat moderately and lots of vegetables and fruits. However, the desserts can actually be improved by placing lesser sugar into the mixture. Snacks can also be reduced to cut down on unnecessary energy intake.

The point about exercise is something I agree with as well. Daily amounts of exercise are very important and although even 5 - 10 minutes of exercise may seem insignificant, they amount to a lot. Hence, the analysis of my diet is to an extent accurate but not totally as not all food items and receipes could be keyed in successfully.

Analysis of diet

So was the food consumed during this period of 3 days HEALTHY? that's a very good question, children....

The analysis of my 3-day diet involved the use of RDDA, Healthy Diet Pyramid, Food Intake Assessment, Receipe Analysis, Energy & Compositions of foods. One very useful website is the Health Promotion Board: hpb.gov.sg


Energy and Nutrient Composition of Foods:

1. Lor mee Alternate Name : N/A Description : Yellow noodles with beansprouts, egg and pork in thick dark gravy Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 540 g 2. Pineapple rice, Thai style Alternate Name : N/A Description : Rice fried with pineapple and ham, sprinkled with pok floss, served in the pineapple crust Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 438 g

3. Soup, green beans, with coconut milk Alternate Name : Bubur Kacang Description : Green beans, coconut milk and screwpine leaves, boiled, addition of palm sugar and salt, boiled, malay style Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 364.25 g 4. Longbeans, fried Alternate Name : N/A Description : Long bean, W/ garlic, FR Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 78.62 g The analysis (per serving) follows: Food Type Lor mee Pineapple rice, Thai style Soup, green beans, with coconut milk Longbeans, fried Energy (kcal) 383 815 377 36 Protein (g) 15 25 17 2 Total fat (g) 11 27 12 2 Saturated fat (g) 4.9 11.4 9.4 0.6 Dietary fibre (g) 6.5 11.0 15.8 3.1 Carbohydrate (g) 55 119 51 2 Energy (kcal) 140 125 0 0 Protein (g) 2,538 2,554 69 134 Food Intake Assessment: Based on the information you have provided, your daily energy requirement is estimated to be 1,989 kcal. This energy requirement is the level of calorie intake from food that will balance the calories your body burns, thus maintaining your weight. For weight loss, you should consume fewer calories and be more active. If you need to gain weight, consume more calories than your body requires. Period of Analysis: 19/08/2010 - 21/08/2010 Energy (kcal) Carbohydrate (g) Protein (g) Total Fat (g) Saturated Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Calcium (mg) Dietary Fibre (g) Sodium (mg) Average intake per day 1,918 258.1 80.9 63.3 25.9 383.7 754.8 36.3 4,652.1 Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) 1,989 298.4 64.5 66.3 22.1 198.9 1,000.0 19.9 1,326.8 % of recommendation met 96 87 125 96 117 193 75 182 351 View actual nutritional intake compared against RDA Energy 96% Carbohydrate 87% Protein 125% Total Fat 96% Saturated Fat 117% Cholesterol 193% Calcium 76% Dietary Fibre 182% Sodium 351% Table showing the % of total calories of diet versus recommendation % of total energy intake Your diet Recommendation Total Carbohydrates 54% 55 - 65% Total Protein 17% 10 - 15% Total Fat 30% 25 - 30% Nutrition messages based on results Saturated Fat Your intake of saturated fat was higher that the recommended amount. An excess of saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol, subsequently increasing your risk of heart disease. The main sources of fat in our diet are also the sources of saturated fat! These include coconut-milk based foods, blended oil (usually used in commercial cooking), flavoured rice (e.g. chicken rice, nasi lemak, nasi briyani) and creamer/whitener/condensed and evaporated milk in beverages. Cutting down or limiting such sources of fat will also help to reduce saturated fat intake. Sodium Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts. Sodium acts like a sponge, holding water in our body. Excess sodium increases the blood volume, which then raises the pressure in our blood vessels. Hypertension or high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks. The main source of sodium in our diet comes from salt (sodium chloride) and sauces added during cooking or at the table. To cut down on sodium intake, gradually reduce the use of salt and sauces when preparing or cooking food so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. Try flavouring foods with natural seasonings like lemon juice or herbs and spices. Choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods and enjoy the natural taste of foods. When eating out, ask for less sauces or gravy in dishes. Cholesterol Your intake of cholesterol was more than the recommended amount. Excessive cholesterol intake, especially as part of a high fat diet, can increase blood cholesterol level and put you at risk of heart diseases. To cut down the intake of cholesterol, replace meat with beans, peas, lentils or bean products 3 times a week. For healthy adults and adolescents, limit eggs to 4 per week. In recipes, try to replace part of the use of whole eggs with just the egg white. Shellfish, prawns, shrimps, crabs, cuttlefish etc as well as organ meats should be eaten no more than twice a week and in small portions. Calcium You were not getting enough calcium in your diet. Without adequate calcium, you may be at risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become weak and brittle. If left untreated, osteoporosis can worsen until a fracture (crack or break in the bone) occurs. Increase your calcium intake from a variety of sources. Consume calcium-enriched breads and biscuits, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified juices, high-calcium soya bean milk, ikan bilis, sardines (with bones), tofu, as well as milk and other dairy products. Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium. Your body can make this vitamin after sunlight hits your skin. You can easily obtain enough by getting at least 30-60 minutes of sunlight a day. Aside from eating wisely, remember to make exercise a part of your life. Exercise helps to burn fat, tone your muscles, improve your stamina, relax and sleep better, as well as keep you alert and study better! Exercise at least 20 to 60 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week, until you sweat and breathe deeply without getting breathless. Choose an exercise that you enjoy, and try a variety so that you don’t get bored. Keep your exercise routine simple, fun and interesting. Healthy Diet Pyramid: