It's no secret that eating out regularly is unhealthy, but to what extent is it "unhealthy"?
A 2021 study published in the Journal of the Society of Nutrition and Dietetics found that eating out ≥ 2 meals a day was associated with a 49% increase in all-cause mortality, an 18% increase in cardiovascular disease mortality, and a 67% increase in cancer mortality, compared to people who barely ate out. ①
To find an accurate relationship between eating out and the risk of death, researchers followed 35,000 people for nearly eight years. In the end, 2,781 deaths were recorded, of which 511 were attributed to cardiovascular disease and 638 to cancer.
Those who eat out often have a higher total energy intake, and naturally have a higher body mass index (BMI) and are more obese than those who eat at home.
Love the short life of the restaurant?
Mainly these 2 reasons
1. Heavy taste and less nutrition
The reason behind "high mortality due to regular eating out" is also well understood. Unless you take the initiative to choose salads or light foods, most of the ingredients and ingredients provided by out-of-home meals are difficult to control, and compared with home meals, they are naturally heavy on oil, salt, and seasoning, often containing higher saturated fatty acids, sodium, and lower calcium, iron, dietary fiber, etc., which can be called a "chronic killer" of health. ①
2. Unhealthy cooking
Not only that, but unhealthy cooking practices can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in people who eat out regularly with more harmful chemicals, such as phthalates. ①
The study found that people who love to cook live longer
A 10-year follow-up study published in Public Health Nutrition in 2012 showed that people who loved to cook lived longer, and the more often they cooked, the lower the risk of death, and those who cooked more than five times a week had a 50% lower risk of death, especially women. ②
In daily life, it is necessary to reduce the intake of high oil, salt and sugar. Cooking and eating by yourself is the best choice, it is the safest, cleanest, and easier to control the nutrients. For home cooking, it is essential to control the use of salt, oil, and sugar.
Cooking at home is healthier and longer
How to cook at home to be healthy and delicious at the same time? The answer lies in the "Balanced Meal Plate" recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents". Learn how to match your plate in six steps and let nutrition get into your plate. Let's try it together!(3)
1. Eat a variety of foods in the right proportions
Portions are a great way to measure nutritional balance. You can prepare a plate and a bowl for each family member to divide the cooked meals into plates, as shown in the above ratio.
A variety of food ensures that it is nutritious and sufficient, and it is best to divide the meals prepared at each meal into compartments by category, and do not leave any compartment empty. You can refer to the following collocation suggestions to practice first.
2. Cereals and potatoes are indispensable, and whole grains account for one-third
Cereals here refer to all staple foods, whether it is a bowl of rice, a steamed bun, or even a piece of sweet potato, each meal has a larger proportion on the plate. Or the staple food should account for the total energy of the day's meal.
When steaming rice, at least one-third of the rice can be replaced with whole grains such as brown rice, millet, corn, oats, or mixed beans such as red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, etc., and sweet potatoes and pumpkin can also be cut into small pieces and boiled with rice. Try to change the whole grains from less to more each day, so that your family can gradually get used to the taste of whole grains.
Bread and biscuits baked with whole wheat flour are also a good choice, and desserts and snacks made with refined white flour are minimized.
3. Vegetables in meals and fruits in every day
Half of the plate, two squares, should be filled with vegetables and fruits, and if there is no fruit, replace it with vegetables. Try a variety of colours and textures of fruits and vegetables, let your imagination and creativity run them, stir-fried, roasted or eaten raw in a healthy and competent way.
For breakfast, you can choose more tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, celery, lettuce and other vegetables that are convenient for raw eating, and choose more leafy vegetables for lunch and dinner, especially dark vegetables (dark green, red, purple, orange, etc.) should account for more than half. If you don't want to spend more time preparing, try a vegetable salad, a salad, or chop and shred carrots, eggplant, zucchini, onions to make a vegetable soup, or you can skewer vegetables and bake them in the oven.
Eat one serving of fruit in any of the three meals, or you can eat the fruit as a snack in a snack. For example, add some diced fruit to milk, yogurt, and oatmeal for desserts. Fruits are washed, cut, and placed within reach of everyone in the house for everyone to eat.
4. Fish, meat, eggs, milk and beans, don't be greedy
In the last compartment are animal foods and soy products, don't be greedy, make sure you have a palm-sized portion of each meal. For breakfast, you can choose a boiled egg and a glass of milk, eat eggs without losing the yolk, and arrange livestock and poultry meat and aquatic products for lunch and dinner. Eat meat today, fish tomorrow, you don't have to eat it every day. Try to substitute soy products for several meals of meat. Eat aquatic products at least twice a week.
Eat lean meat, eat less fatty meat, and it is best to remove the skin of chicken and duck. Use as little processed meat as possible.
5. Reduce oil, salt and sugar, and add a few points to health
When cooking at home, try to use fresh ingredients and use little or no oil, salt and sugar when cooking. In the kitchen, there are oil and salt control spoons and limit the number of meals you can use according to the number of people eating at home and the number of meals. Cooking oil should be 25 grams to 30 grams per person per day, and the salt should not exceed 5 grams. Less frying and frying, more steaming, boiling, and stewing.
When you first start adjusting to a less salt diet, you may find it bland and tasteless, but don't worry, it will take a little time for your taste buds to love foods with less salt. You can also try to mix some unsalted seasonings yourself, such as herbs, spices, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, lemon juice, etc., and add some tomatoes, mushrooms as a side dish when cooking, or even sprinkle a little unsalted chopped nuts to bring more flavor. Avoid using extra added sugar, such as braised braised dishes, sweet and sour dishes, and shredded shredding.
6. Drink 300 grams of milk every day, and drink enough water
Drink at least 300 grams of milk or eat the same amount of dairy products a day, which can be divided into three meal plates, such as a glass of milk for breakfast and a glass of yogurt for lunch or dinner.
Soy milk or soybeans can also be combined with any other beans and nuts to make a delicious cup of plant milk. Drink more plain water and less sugary drinks. You can choose your favorite tea or coffee, with little or no sugar added as much as possible.
Source: Health Times