The Physician's Perspective: Why Your Plate Should be Plant Strong During National Nutrition Month
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National Nutrition Month began in March of 1973 as a way to educate and encourage Americans to eat and move their way to better health. Indeed, that message has never been more important than now as we face a pandemic of epic proportions. However, in a world full of nutritional misinformation and confusion, how can we know what a “healthy diet” is or means? To better understand the concept of a “healthy diet,” let’s look at the scientific data to discover which foods have been shown to prevent disease and positively influence health.
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Our dietary choices contribute to the risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.1 Diets with high levels of processed meats, saturated fats, refined grains, salt, and added sugars but lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables have been linked to the rise of chronic diseases.2 In contrast, a healthy diet is one in which protein, carbohydrates, and fat are consumed in appropriate amounts to support metabolic needs without excess, and providing sufficient vitamins and minerals to meet the physiologic needs of the body.3
The following have been shown to provide a health benefit:
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Whole grains: Studies have shown a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer with an increased whole-grain intake.4
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Fresh fruits and vegetables: The fiber supplied by fruits and vegetables promotes satiety, supports gastrointestinal function and microbiome diversity, decreases cholesterol levels, and improves blood sugar control.5 In addition, they provide phytochemicals (polyphenols, phytosterols, carotenoids), which are compounds understood to bestow the health benefits associated with fruit and vegetable intake.
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Legumes: Legumes, soy products, grains, nuts, and seeds provide are excellent sources of protein and amino acids, including those that the human body requires but cannot produce on its own or essential amino acids. Consuming plants avoids the animal-derived saturated fatty acids, which have been correlated with heart disease, increased cholesterol levels, and certain cancers.6
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Fats: Fats are essential components of cellular membranes and energy. Dietary fats include monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are found in plant-derived oils, nuts, and seeds, but animal foods (and some plant-derived oils like coconut oil) contain a larger fraction of saturated fats.7 Unsaturated fats are associated with decreased heart disease and death, whereas trans fats and saturated fats are correlated with adverse health effects, including increased mortality.8
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Whole plant-based foods also provide micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for countless purposes within the body.9
Therefore, scientific evidence has shown us that a healthy diet is one rich in plant-based foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low in saturated fats and trans fats, animal-derived proteins, and added sugars.
Here are some simple guidelines to help you get started, but each individual may require more or less of the suggested servings based on several factors such as activity levels, gender, and health conditions.
Whole Grains: Examples include oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, millet, barley, millet, and corn (try to avoid white rice).
- Servings per day: 3 or more servings per day which are equal to ½ cup of rice or other grain, 1-ounce dry cereal, or 1 slice of whole-grain bread
Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas, and soy
- Servings per day: 3 or more servings per day is equivalent to ½ cup of cooked beans, 4 ounces of tofu, or 8 ounces of soymilk
Fruits: all fruits of any kind
- Servings per day: 4 or more servings of 1 medium fruit, ½ cup chopped, ¼ cup dried fruit (make sure one of these servings are berries)
Vegetables: all vegetables of any kind
- Servings per day: 4 or more servings per day including 1 cup raw vegetables or ½ cup cooked (one serving should be a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, etc; two servings should be green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, and the remaining servings could be any other vegetable)
Nuts and seeds should also be added to a healthy diet but are higher in fats. Examples include almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc. (in addition to the nuts and seeds you consume in a day you should also consider adding ground flaxseed to your daily regimen).
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Servings per day: should be limited to ¼ cup or 2 TBS of nut butter per day depending on caloric needs.
Make this National Nutrition Month the beginning of a lifetime of healthy food and habits!
1. Koene R.J., Prizment A.E., Blaes A., Konety S.H. Shared risk factors in cardiovascular disease and cancer. Circulation. 2016;133:1104–1114. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.020406.
2. Cordain L., Eaton S.B., Sebastian A., Mann N., Lindeberg S., Watkins B.A., O’Keefe J.H., Brand-Miller J. Origins and evolution of the Western diet: Health implications for the 21st century. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2005;81:341–354. doi: 10.1093/ajcn.81.2.341.
3. Stark C. Guidelines for Food and Nutrient Intake. In: Stipanuk M.H., Caudill M.A., editors. Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition. 3rd ed. Elsevier Saunders; St. Louis, MO, USA: 2013. pp. 34–47.
4. Benisi-Kohansal S., Saneei P., Salehi-Marzijarani M., Larijani B., Esmaillzadeh A. Whole-grain intake and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Adv. Nutr. 2016;7:1052–1065. doi: 10.3945/an.115.011635.
5. McRorie J.W., Jr., McKeown N.M. Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: An evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber. J. Acad. Nutr. Diet. 2017;117:251–264. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021.
7. Brenna J.T., Sacks G.L. Lipid Structure, Nomenclature, and Chemical Properties. In: Stipanuk M.H., Caudill M.A., editors. Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition. 3rd ed. Elsevier Saunders; St. Louis, MO, USA: 2013. pp. 91–119.
8. de Souza R.J., Mente A., Maroleanu A., Cozma A.I., Ha V., Kishibe T., Uleryk E., Budylowski P., Schunemann H., Beyene J., et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. 2015;351:h3978. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3978.
9. Stipanuk M.H., Caudill M.A. The Vitamins. In: Stipanuk M.H., Caudill M.A., editors. Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition. 3rd ed. Elsevier Saunders; St. Louis, MO, USA: 2013. pp. 537–539.
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Veggie Stir Fry (no oil!)
We love delicious Asian food for the ease of finding plant-based options, and all of the healthy vegetables they include. The big problem we have with restaurant Asian food is the amount of oil they typically cook with. It’s hard to find Asian food that isn’t drowning in oil. And, since we know oil is not healthy food, we try to avoid it as much as possible.
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Ingredients:
- 1 package very firm tofu
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon ginger (more or less to taste)
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons Braggs liquid aminos
- 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1 package of shitake or button mushrooms (or whatever else you like)
- 1 large onion
- 1 small traditional cabbage or Chinese cabbage
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 bunches of bok choy chopped
- red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- 2. Drain the tofu in a colander. Remove moisture by wrapping the tofu in a paper towel and put it between two plates with something heavy on top to squeeze out the moisture. Once drained, slice into rectangular-shaped pieces about an inch long and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until browned.
- 3. Roast the cashews by spreading them out on a parchment paper-lined pan, and cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, until they turn brown and you can smell them. If you’ve got room in your oven you can do this while the tofu is baking.
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- 4. To make the stir fry sauce, peel the ginger and chop finely by hand, or with a food processor. Place the ginger, broth, liquid aminos, arrowroot powder in a small bowl. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
- 5. Clean the vegetables, and slice the onions and peppers lengthwise and chop the cabbage, kale, and mushrooms into bite-size pieces.
- 6. Sauté the mushrooms first on medium-high heat until cooked. Once cooked, set aside.
- 7, In a large pot, sauté the onions with some vegetable broth so they don’t stick. Add the cabbage and peppers, and let them cook until the onions start to become transparent. Add broth if needed to prevent sticking, but not more than that. Add the cooked mushrooms and bok choy.
- 8. When the vegetables are almost ready, add the sauce, and red pepper flakes if you want to spice it up. The sauce will begin to glaze over the vegetables in the pot. You may not need to use all of the sauce, just enough to coat the vegetables. Cook for a few minutes more to allow the sauce to thicken, and then add the tofu and cashews. Stir and cook for another minute or two.
- 9, Serve over brown rice or quinoa, for a delicious healthy meal!
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Plant-Based Nutrition In All
Stages of Life
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Plant-based diets are not only healthy for adults wanting to avoid heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases -- this type of eating is appropriate at all stages of life. This includes pregnancy through childhood and into late adulthood. The key at any stage of life is ensuring that it is well planned and balanced. Being intentional with nutrition for yourself and your family is important. |
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For example, many processed foods now claim to be "plant-based" but are not necessarily good for you. Cookies, chips, and other such food can be vegan but not healthful. Following are simple thoughts for plant-based eating at any stage of life.
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Pregnancy- It’s actually very possible to eat a plant-based diet during pregnancy and still achieve the needed increase in calories and protein. Pregnant women need to pay special attention to protein intake during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Beans, lentils, quinoa, tempeh, whole grains, and vegetables are all great choices!
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Infants - Of course, breastmilk and formula are all babies need for the first 6 months. At 6 - 12 months, as they start on solid foods, plant-based foods offer the perfect start! Think about mashed fruits and thoroughly cooked mashed vegetables.
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Children/ Teens - By modeling a plant-based diet for your children and offering plant-based foods, you are giving your child a huge gift! These good early eating habits will help them maintain a healthy weight and have fewer allergies, issues with acne, and fewer gastrointestinal issues. Encouraging your kids to help prepare meals from a young age also helps them understand the importance of healthy food and to take pride in eating nutritious options.
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Adults - Continue to be intentional and plan your nutrition as an adult. By eating a wide variety of plant foods, you will improve your immune system (or keep it strong), warding off many chronic health issues that are often triggered in the adult years (think obesity, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, heart disease). Focus on eating a variety of the following: legumes, leaves, bulbs, roots, flowers, whole grains, fruits, mushrooms, stems, and nuts.
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Older Adults - For people well into their adult years, it’s never too late to transition to a plant-based diet! In fact, not only is it great physically for older adults -- helping to reverse chronic conditions and slow certain age-related challenges; it is also a great way to learn something new! This is a time in life when you may have more free time to experiment with fun new recipes and to read the wealth of insightful literature available. Enjoy it!
https://nutritionstudies.org/
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets
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