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A calendar for dietary changes
A Calendar for Dietary Changes Sue R. Vaughan, Sonja L. Connor and Joyce M. Gusta/son, Family Heart Study, Department 0/ Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon 97201 We have designed a twelve-month calendar entitled "A Year of Changes" as an innovative means to convey the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to the public. Each month the individual is challenged to incorporate two or three very specific behaviors that lead to an eating style compatible with the guidelines. The calendar includes recommendations for increasing the consumption of whole-grain products, legumes, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, and for decreasing intake of red meats, egg yolk, high-fat dairy products, fats, sugar and sodium. The value of a twelve-month calendar is to emphasize a gradual diet change toward these guidelines. This calendar has been used in conjunction with a self-scoring questionnaire that enables individuals to determine what changes they need to make to be within the Dietary Guidelines. The calendar serves to summarize the recommendations. We have also produced a cookbook that is very useful to those wishing to make changes. All these materials (see Notes) have been enthusiastically received in a variety of settings: community health fairs, classes from junior high through college, continuing education programs for dentists and physicians, inservice training programs for foodservice personnel, corporate health promotions, and community service programs. The health educator may use these tools with lectures, slide presentations, or food demonstrations that detail the need for dietary change from a health perspective.
MONTH 1
MONTH 2
MONTH 3
Become more aware of the frequency and a· mount of eggs, liver, red meats and high·fat dairy products (cheese, ice cream, etc.) you eat. Eat and cook with cheeses which have less fat and/or cholesterol (diet cheeses, mozzarella or other part-skim milk cheeses)
Limit your breakfasts of whole eggs, sausage, or bacon to no more than once a week. Replace one whole egg with two egg whites or 114 cup egg substitute when making cakes, muffins, waffles, hotcakes, etc.
Eat deep fat fried foods less frequently (french fries, onion rings, do· nuts, etc.) Serve chicken and fish more often in place of red meats. Try a new recipe.
MONTH 4
MONTH 5
MONTH 6
Switch to a lower fat milk (try mixing your current milk with a lower fat one). First use it in cooking, then for drinking. Use sherbet or frozen yogurt or ices in place of ice cream. Eat fruit 3 times a day.
Replace high fat snack crackers with lower fat varieties (soda, graham, etc. Check deli section of grocery store).
Make "mock sour cream" for dips or baked potatoes. Mix 1 cup low· fat cottage cheese,l tsp. fresh lemon juice and 2 Tbs. buttermilk until smooth in blender or food processor. Make legume dishes (kidney beans, lentil or split pea soup, chili, baked beans, etc.).
Each week, eat several "meatless" lunches (containing no cheese, eggs, meat, fish or poultry). Try soup, bean burritos, etc.
MONTH 7
MONTH 8
MONTH 9
Eat two grain products at every meal (bread, cereal, rice, bulgur, tortillas, etc.). Try using part whole wheat flour in recipes calling for all-purpose flour. Use low-fat plain yogurt (with vanilla and a little sugar) to replace whipped dessert toppings.
Make your own corn chips by scraping margarine on thin corn tortillas, cut into wedges, and bake on cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 0
Fill your salt shaker with "light"salt (ones which have half the amount of sodium as regular salt). Use half the amount of salt a recipe calls for in baking and cooking.
When baking, try using 113 less sugar than recipe calls for.
Look for dessert recipes that have no more than l/4 cup of fat (oil, margarine, shortening) per recipe.
MONTH 10
MONTH 11
Use 1/4 less fat (oil, margarine, shortening) than recipe calls for in cooking and baking. Use fish or poultry at least three times a week for your main meal. Switch to low-calorie salad dressing and imitation mayonnaise.
Eat vegetables at least twice each day. Prepare vegetables one new way each week (stirfried, steamed, raw, etc.). Use beans (garbanzo, 3bean, etc.) on a tossed salad.
Acknowledgment Development of these materials was supported by research grants HL20910 and HL07295 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Division of Research Resources.
Notes For information on how to obtain the calendar, questionnaire, and cookbook, please write the third author.
Replace butter with vegetable oil margarines which are very soft at room temperature.
A YEAR
OF CHANGES JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION 15:58. 1983
MONTH 12 Try "reduced sodium" soy sauce. Dine out at places that offer lower fat choices. Occasionally for special celebrations, ignore all suggestions and enjoy )'ourselves!
MONTH 1
MONTH 2
MONTH 3
Become more aware of the frequency and a· mount of eggs, liver, red meats and high·fat dairy products (cheese, ice cream, etc.) you eat. Eat and cook with cheeses which have less fat and/or cholesterol (diet cheeses, mozzarella or other part-skim milk cheeses)
Limit your breakfasts of whole eggs, sausage, or bacon to no more than once a week. Replace one whole egg with two egg whites or 114 cup egg substitute when making cakes, muffins, waffles, hotcakes, etc.
Eat deep fat fried foods less frequently (french fries, onion rings, do· nuts, etc.) Serve chicken and fish more often in place of red meats. Try a new recipe.
MONTH 4
MONTH 5
MONTH 6
Switch to a lower fat milk (try mixing your current milk with a lower fat one). First use it in cooking, then for drinking. Use sherbet or frozen yogurt or ices in place of ice cream. Eat fruit 3 times a day.
Replace high fat snack crackers with lower fat varieties (soda, graham, etc. Check deli section of grocery store).
Make "mock sour cream" for dips or baked potatoes. Mix 1 cup low· fat cottage cheese,l tsp. fresh lemon juice and 2 Tbs. buttermilk until smooth in blender or food processor. Make legume dishes (kidney beans, lentil or split pea soup, chili, baked beans, etc.).
Each week, eat several "meatless" lunches (containing no cheese, eggs, meat, fish or poultry). Try soup, bean burritos, etc.
MONTH 7
MONTH 8
MONTH 9
Eat two grain products at every meal (bread, cereal, rice, bulgur, tortillas, etc.). Try using part whole wheat flour in recipes calling for all-purpose flour. Use low-fat plain yogurt (with vanilla and a little sugar) to replace whipped dessert toppings.
Make your own corn chips by scraping margarine on thin corn tortillas, cut into wedges, and bake on cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 0
Fill your salt shaker with "light"salt (ones which have half the amount of sodium as regular salt). Use half the amount of salt a recipe calls for in baking and cooking.
When baking, try using 113 less sugar than recipe calls for.
Look for dessert recipes that have no more than l/4 cup of fat (oil, margarine, shortening) per recipe.
MONTH 10
MONTH 11
Use 1/4 less fat (oil, margarine, shortening) than recipe calls for in cooking and baking. Use fish or poultry at least three times a week for your main meal. Switch to low-calorie salad dressing and imitation mayonnaise.
Eat vegetables at least twice each day. Prepare vegetables one new way each week (stirfried, steamed, raw, etc.). Use beans (garbanzo, 3bean, etc.) on a tossed salad.
Acknowledgment Development of these materials was supported by research grants HL20910 and HL07295 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Division of Research Resources.
Notes For information on how to obtain the calendar, questionnaire, and cookbook, please write the third author.
Replace butter with vegetable oil margarines which are very soft at room temperature.
A YEAR
OF CHANGES JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION 15:58. 1983
MONTH 12 Try "reduced sodium" soy sauce. Dine out at places that offer lower fat choices. Occasionally for special celebrations, ignore all suggestions and enjoy )'ourselves!