Are you eating the right staple food

September 19, 2018-09-19 health newspaper shandong university qilu hospital nutrition department feng tenjuan

Staple food, as the name implies, is the main food in our daily life, and the carbohydrates it provides are the main source of energy. The first recommendation of the "dietary guidelines for Chinese residents 2016" is "food diversity, mainly grain". Cereals mainly refer to that the energy provided by staple food accounts for more than half of the total energy of meals, which is also an important feature of the balanced diet mode of Chinese people.

The staple food provides rich carbohydrates and is also an important source of B vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and protein. It can also reduce the intake of animal food and fat, and play an important role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.

But now we eat less staple food, rice noodles are also more white. In 2012, the average dietary carbohydrate energy supply ratio of Chinese residents was 55%, protein was 12.1%, and fat energy supply ratio was as high as 32.9%. Compared with 1992, the energy supply ratio of staple food decreased by nearly 20%, while the consumption of staple food was up to 90%.

In fact, the staple food family is far more than rice noodles, but also includes whole grains, beans, potatoes. Staple foods should be carefully matched to add whole grains and beans. The dietary pagoda of Chinese residents (2016) separately gives the daily recommended intake of whole grains, beans and potatoes, 50g ~ 150g of whole grains and beans, and 50g ~ 100g of potatoes.

Whole grain refers to the grain that has retained the endosperm, germ, husk and aleurone components of the whole grain without elaboration or even after grinding (crushing or lamination, etc.). Common wheat, barley, millet, corn, oats, buckwheat, sorghum, brown rice, black rice, the seed of Job’s tears and so on are whole grains. Whole grains can be coarsely cooked on their own, either with white rice or in a pressure cooker porridge or paella. Compared with refined grains, whole grains contain all the natural nutrients of grains, such as dietary fiber, B vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, and phytic acids and phenols. The higher the cereal processing accuracy, the higher the human body's blood sugar response, and the more B vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber loss.

Omnibus beans refer to red beans, mung beans, mung beans, cowpeas, kidney beans, peas, and broad beans in addition to soybeans. They can be cooked into porridge, rice and even processed into dishes, such as mung bean sprouts. Beans are low in fat, higher in B vitamins than grains, and are rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. Rich in lysine, being paired with cereal enhances nutritional value by complementing food protein.

The potato has a long history in China. Common varieties of potato include sweet potato (sweet potato), potato (potato), taro and yam. In addition to the staple food and dessert, they can also be processed into dishes. Potatoes are really low in fat, high in dietary fiber, high in potassium and low in sodium. The potato contains vitamin C similar to other root vegetables, which cereal does not.

If we want our staple food to be rich and nutritious, let whole grains, beans and potatoes take over our table.