FOLLOWING THE FOOD PYRAMID WITH SUPERFOODS

The USDA created its food pyramid to help Americans understand how many servings of healthful foods they need every day. You can find more information on the food pyramid at www.mypyramid.gov, but here’s the general idea:

Breads and cereals: Six to eleven servings every day. At least half of your servings from this group should be whole-grain. Choose bread, plain cereals, and pasta. Avoid pastries and sugary cereals.

Fruits and vegetables: At least 2 cups of fruit and 21/2 cups of vegetables. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible, and remember that cooking methods matter — steaming is better than boiling.

Dairy products and calcium: Three servings every day. Choose low-fat milk, cheese, or yogurt.

Meats and proteins: Two or three servings each day. Choose fish, poultry, eggs, lean meats, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Cut back on fatty red meat and avoid deep-fried meat.

Fats and oils: Two servings of fats and oils daily, which should come from fish, nuts, seeds, or vegetable oils.

Discretionary calories: The pyramid leaves just a little room for treats — usually about 100 to 150 calories or so per day.

Here’s how you can fit superfoods into the USDA pyramid:

Breads and cereals: At least half of your servings from this group should be whole-grain. Superfood grains include oats and quinoa. Both grains make great breakfast cereals, and quinoa can be eaten as a side dish. Oats can be added to bread and other baked goods, and sometimes oats can be used in place of flour in cooking.

Fruits and vegetables: We think this is the most important group because fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrition and fiber, and most people don’t eat enough of them. Superfood fruits include oranges, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and pomegranate. All these fruits can be enjoyed as fresh snacks or added to healthful foods. Superfoods vegetables include spinach,broccoli, kale, tomatoes, avocadoes, beets, and carrots. They’re all terrific in salads, sides, and some main dishes.

Dairy products and calcium: We didn’t include any dairy products in our list of superfoods; however, many of our superfoods go great with non-fat yogurt (think of a berry and nut parfait). Non-fat yogurt is a great source of calcium and contains beneficial bacteria that are good for your health. Calcium is very important for good health, and superfoods sources of calcium include spinach, broccoli, and kale; sardines; soy; and almonds and Brazil nuts.

Meats and proteins: Salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fat, so they’re terrific as protein sources. Dry beans, soy, and lentils are high-quality plant proteins that can be used as substitutes for high-fat red meats. Nuts and seeds make great protein- and fiber-rich snacks.

Fats and oils: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that are good for your health. Flax oil is good for you, too. These oils are much healthier than the saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products. Olive oil is good for cooking or for making salad dressings. You don’t want to cook with flax oil, but it makes a great supplemental oil or topping for salads and vegetables.

Discretionary calories: Depending on how many calories you can have each day, you’ll probably want to save a few for snacks and tasty treats. We suggest a little dark chocolate or a small glass of wine because of their antioxidant properties.

Planning superfood meals and menus

The first step in planning healthful meals is to go for a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats, while reducing sugar, excess sodium, and bad fats. You can accomplish that by following the food pyramid serving suggestions.

The second step is to find places to fit the superfoods into your menu. Superfoods vegetables make great side dishes or salads. The fruits and nuts are perfect for snacks or dessert. The superfoods fish and legumes fit nicely into any dinner. Oats are great for breakfast, and there’s even room for a small glass of red wine with dinner or a piece of dark chocolate later on.

So what does a superfood menu look like? We suggest you start out by focusing on a healthful, balanced diet that includes two superfoods each day. Your day could look something like this:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with low-fat milk, raisins, and honey; one slice of toast with peanut butter; and coffee. Oatmeal counts as your first superfood of the day.

Mid-morning snack: Celery sticks with veggie dip.

Lunch: Chicken sandwich with light mayonnaise, one slice of cheese, and lettuce on whole-grain bread, and a small green salad with no more than 2 tablespoons of salad dressing.

Mid-afternoon snack: Six crackers with thin slices of cheese, one sliced pear, and a diet soft drink.

Dinner: Roast beef, a baked potato with light sour cream, and a side of steamed broccoli with a dab of butter or non-trans-fat margarine. Broccoli is your second superfood for the day.

Evening snack: One cup of flavored yogurt.

As you can see, a daily menu like this has plenty of food and flavor without sacrificing good nutrition. And it’s easy to add even more superfoods. The following meal plan incorporates five:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with low-fat milk, blueberries, and honey; one slice of toast with peanut butter; and coffee. Oatmeal is your first superfood, and blueberries are your second.

Mid-morning snack: One apple with one slice of cheddar cheese and water. The apple is your third superfood.

Lunch: Bowl of low-sodium chicken noodle soup, one whole-grain roll, and a green salad with no more than 2 tablespoons salad dressing.

Mid-afternoon snack: A single-serving bag of almonds. Almonds are your fourth superfood.

Dinner: Baked salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans. Salmon is your fifth superfood for the day.

Evening snack: One cup of flavored yogurt.

These are just two examples of superfoods menus — throughout the book, we describe more ways to fit superfoods into your day. Enjoying a superfoods diet is easy and delicious.

Taking the First Steps Toward a Healthier You with Superfoods 

Now that you’re armed with nutrition information and you know how to plan your meals, it’s time to get started on your superfoods diet. In the following chapters, we tell you more about superfoods, how to prepare them, and how to fit each of them into your superfoods diet. Here’s your game plan:

Start with two superfoods each day and increase the number as you feel comfortable.
We’ve mentioned a few superfoods in this chapter (or you can look ahead for more), so you can get started with your superfoods regimen right away.

Reduce the amount of foods you eat that are bad for your health.
That includes the fatty red meats, deep-fried foods, sugary foods, greasy snack foods, and foods that are heavily processed. Replace those bad foods with good foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, and low-fat dairy products.

Keep a food diary to help you keep track of your superfoods diet. 
Writing down the foods you eat and the beverages you drink every day improves your chances of turning your new dietary changes into a permanent lifestyle. You really don’t need anything fancy; a small notebook will do. At the end of every day, you can see whether your food choices were good or bad and how many superfoods you ate.

Exercise. 
The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. Exercise works along with superfoods to help you manage your weight and promote a healthy heart.

Get your family and friends involved. 
It’s much easier to accomplish diet and exercise goals when you do it with a partner. Lead by example and rope some friends or family members into a healthy lifestyle.

If at first you don’t succeed... don’t give up! Rome wasn’t built in a day and you don’t have to change your diet overnight. It’s okay if you slip up — just start again and continue to make healthier food choices and add more superfoods. Ultimately, your superfoods diet will last a lifetime (and a long one at that!).

By Brent Agin and Shereen Jegtvig in "Superfoods for Dummies", Wiley Publishing, USA, 2009, excerpts chapter 1. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.

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