| Nutrition Details |
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| Daily Requirements |
| Whole Grains 6+ servings |
Vegetable 3 or more servings |
Fruit 2-4 servings |
| Protein 2-4 servings |
Dairy 0-2 servings non-fat milk products |
Sweets 0-2 servings, Alcohol 0-1 serving |
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Nutritional Supplements
- Multivitamin with minerals: 1 per day, with vitamin B12 (2.4 mcg), without iron (unless woman of childbearing age or prescribed by your physician), providing 100% RDA.
- Flaxseed Oil - Women 1 gram per day in capsule form or 1 teaspoon freshly ground flaxseed. Flaxseed is not recommended for men.
- Fish Oil - Women 2 grams per day in capsule form. Men 3 grams per day in capsule form. Products with "liver" in their title, such as cod liver oil, are not appropriate. Fish oil supplements should not contain cholesterol.
- Optional - choose food sources first for these nutrients:
Vitamin C - 1-3 grams per day, Vitamin E - 100-400 IU per day (Check with physician if taking statin medications). Folic Acid - 400-1000 mcg per day, Selenium - 100-200 mcg per day.
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| How can we use this information? |
Comparing products
- Use the serving size (volume or weight) to compare different brands and products.
How much do you eat?
- The serving size on the packet may be different to your size – check it out!
Fat
- Check the fat gram: choose products with less than 3 grams of fat per serving.
- Check the ingredient list: choose products that don’t contain animal fats, saturated or trans fats.
Carbohydrate
- Total:
- - includes both starches and sugars.
- - people on insulin need to balance their ‘total carbohydrate’ with their insulin.
- Sugars:
- - includes carbohydrate from sugar, honey, fruits and milk.
- - eat smaller amounts of foods with higher levels of sugar.
Fiber
- Aim to eat at least 25-30 grams of fiber each day.
Sodium or Salt
- Compare different products and choose the ones with less sodium or salt.
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| Health Claims: Whwat do they mean? |
No Added Sugar
May still contain a lot of natural sugar – check the label and count the ‘total carbohydrate.’
Lite or Light
Could mean less fat or sugar, but might just refer to the color! – check the label and ingredients list.
No Fat or Fat-free
By law must contain less than 0.5 gram of fat per serving. Make sure that the product contains “acceptable” fats.
Cholesterol Free
By law must contain less than 0.5 gram of fat per serving. May still have a high fat and energy content – check the nutrition information. Cholesterol from our food is as important than the type and amount of fat we eat.
‘Diet’ or Low Calorie
May contain artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Check label and ingredients list.
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| Guidelines for Food Shopping |
- Don’t go hungry! Have a snack before shopping to avoid buying junk!
- Always go with a list. Arrange your list based on the locations of the foods in the store. This will help speed up shopping and prevent buying foods you don’t need.
- Stay in the periphery of the store. This is where all WHOLE foods are located. The middle of the store is where all processed foods are located. The only aisles you will visit regularly are the cereal/cracker aisle, breads, canned vegetables, fruits and soups, dairy, frozen foods and toiletry/paper goods. Avoid the temptation on the other aisles! Of course, stay away from the bakery!
- Take time to discover new items. Get out of the food rut and try something new! Most people have difficulty sticking to a new meal plan because they get tired of eating the same foods. If you need new ideas, ask your dietitian! In the meantime, take some time to browse and be adventurous.
- Take advantage of convenience items. They may not be as fresh and free of preservatives as whole foods, but they can come in handy when time is an issue in putting a meal together. Take advantage of pre-cut, pre-washed veggies and fruits.
Sample Pantry List
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| Serving Size |
- Whole Grains: 1/2 cup cooked Oatmeal, 1/2 cup dry whole grain cereal.1/2 whole wheat pita, 1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup cooked whole wheat couscous, 2 brown rice cakes, 1/2 whole wheat bagel, 3 tablespoons wheat germ, 1/2 cup cooked bulgur, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked barley, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 whole wheat tortilla, 2-5 whole wheat crackers, no fat.
- Other Grains: 6-fat-free saltine crackers, 1 small potato, 1/2 hamburger bun, 2 pancakes, 15-20 baked tortilla chips, 1/2 cup fat-free pretzels, 3 cups air popped popcorn, 1/2 hotdog bun, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes.
- Protein: 1/2 coup cooked beans, peas, legumes, 1 cup soy milk (0-3 g fat), 1 vegetarian hot dog, 1 fat-free vegetarian burger, 8 oz soy yogurt. 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute, 1 ounce or 1 slice soy cheese, 1/2 cup cooked lentils, 1/2 soybeans (0-3 g fat).
- Full-Fat Soy: 1 cup soy milk (>3 g fat) 1/4 cup tempeh, 1/2 cup tofu, 1/2 cup soybeans(>3 g fat), 1/4 cup dry roasted soy nuts.
- Fat-Free Dairy: 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup fat=free cottage or ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese, 3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream, 8 ounces fat-free yogurt, 1 ounce fat-free cheese (1 slice).
- Fruit: 1 medium piece fruit, 1/2 large banana, 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice, 15 grapes, 2 tablespoons rains, 1 1/4 cups whole strawberries, 1/3 cantaloupe melon, 2 plums, tangerines, or clementines, 1 1/4 cup watermelon, cubed, 1 kiwi.
- Vegetables: 1 cup raw vegetables or 1/2 cup cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable juice.
- Alcohol: 1.5 ounces of liquor, 4 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer.
- Sweets: 1 tablespoon of jelly, jam, all fruit spread, syrup, sugar or honey, 1/2 cup fat-free frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup fat-free pudding, 1/2 cup Jell-O, 2 fat-free cookies, 1 small slice of angelfood cake.
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| Sample Menu |
| Meal |
Selection |
| Breakfast |
- 1 cup bran flakes
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 slice whole wheat toast with 1 tsp. jelly
- 1 small banana
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| Snack |
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| Lunch |
- Vegetable sandwhich on 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 1 cup carrot and celery sticks
- 1 cup skim milk
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| Snack |
- a handfull of non-fat tortilla chips
- 1/2 cup non-fat refried beans
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| Supper |
- 1 cup whole wheat pasta with 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- a sprinkling of non-fat cheese
- 2 slices French bready
- 1 cup fresh spinach with 1/2 cup marinated bean salad
- 1 cup strawberries with 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
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| Snack |
- 3 cups Air-popped Popcorn
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| Meal Planning Guidelines |
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| Menu Worksheet |
| Meal |
Suggested Pattern |
Your Menu |
| Breakfast |
- 1-3 whole grains
- 1 serving non-fat dairy
- 1 fruit
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| Snack |
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| Lunch |
- 1-3 whole grain
- 1-2 vegetables
- 1 full-fat soy
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| Snack |
- 1 whole grain
- 1 protein
- water
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| Dinner |
- 2-3 whole grains
- 1-2 protein
- 1-2 vegetables
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| Snack |
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Nutrient Adequacy
Vegetarian diets are adequate in vitamins, minerals and protein and offer the additional benefit of decreasing risk of diseases. The Reversal Diet is a type of vegetarian diet that as part of the Ornish Program of stress management, group support and exercise, has been associated with heart disease regression.
Both meat containing and vegetarian diets can be adequate or inadequate nutritionally based on what foods are eaten. You have seen the pyramid based eating plan for diets that include meat. We use a similar way of planning a diet that is healthful with the Reversal Diet Pyramid.
Protein
The Reversal Diet is lower in protein than a diet containing meat. This diet offers good quality protein with all the essential amino acids in about the right proportions. You may be consuming milk products, which contain all the amino acids in the right proportions. Plants contain essential amino acids, too, but many of them are low in one amino acid or another. Fortunately, different foods have different amino acid content, so when you eat a variety of foods, you get plenty of essential amino acids in the proportions you need.
You don't need to think about getting enough protein or the right amounts of each of the essential amino acids as long as you eat according to the Reversal Diet Pyramid.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 comes mainly form animal foods but the Reversal Diet contains some because some grain and soy products are fortified with Vitamin B12. In addition, a multivitamin with 100% RDA for vitamins (without iron) includes Vitamin B12.
Iron
If you eat according to the Reversal Diet Pyramid, you will take a lot of iron. In diets containing meat there are factors (meat factor and heme iron) that make more of the iron consumed absorbed by the body. However, in the vegetarian diet, there are factors, such as Vitamin C that also boost iron absorption. If you consume lots of Vitamin C-rich citrus fruits, tomato or broccoli, it will help boost the proportion of the dietary iron that is absorbed into your body.
Although it is important to consume enough iron to prevent anemia, too much is not good. Some studies suggest that excessive iron intake promotes heart disease. That is the reason for suggesting a vitamin supplement without iron.
Calcium
There are many sources of calcium in the Reversal Diet: non-fat milk products, legumes and dark green vegetables, calcium-fortified juice and soymilk. Some women who are postmenopausal and some men who are over 70 years old may need a little more calcium to prevent loss of bone calcium, that is, osteoporosis. Check with your registered dietitian or physician to determine if a supplement is needed.
Zinc
There is less in the diet of vegetarians than in diets containing meat. Most zinc comes from animal products. However, there is zinc in whole grain foods. If you eat according to the Reversal Diet Pyramid, that is, 6 or more grains, especially whole grains, you are likely to take in plenty of zinc to meet your needs.
Vitamin D
Since so few foods are high in vitamin D, dairy products are fortified with it. You will take in Vitamin D in the non-fat milk products you consume and in the vitamin supplement you will take.
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