How to eat healthier?

Listen to what the science has to say

May 11-17, 2024 is the 10th National Nutrition Week; May 20 is the 35th "5.20" Chinese Student Nutrition Day. The theme of the 2024 National Nutrition Week and "5.20" Chinese Student Nutrition Day is: Milk Beans Add Nutrition, Less Oil is Healthier. Why "reduce oil, increase beans, and add milk"? Liu Yajuan, chairman of the Jilin Provincial Nutrition Society, answered.

Milk and soy products are an important part of a balanced diet and are rich in nutrients such as high-quality protein, calcium, and B vitamins. Therefore, it is of great significance to increase the intake of milk and legumes and reduce the intake of cooking oil to improve the quality of the diet and prevent obesity and chronic diseases. However, not all beans are called soybeans! Soybeans simply refer to soybeans, black beans, and green beans. Other beans are called mixed beans, such as red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, broad beans, etc.

"Drinking milk can not only supplement high-quality protein but also calcium, beans are one of the main agricultural products in Jilin Province, rich in high-quality plant protein, and among all foods, soybeans contain the most plant protein, soybeans contain phytochemicals, which can better alleviate the occurrence of osteoporosis and breast cancer caused by the reduction of estrogen in menopausal women."

Of course, not all people are suitable for eating soy. For example, patients with hyperkalemia, patients with acute attacks of gout, etc., the elderly and children with relatively weak digestive tract function are more suitable to eat soy products instead of whole soybeans:

"Oil is the most energetic of the three functional nutrients, protein and carbohydrates provide only 4 kilocalories per gram, while oil can provide 98 kilocalories, which is also a risk factor for obesity and chronic diseases."

Expert tip: It is recommended that adults consume an average of 15~25 grams of soybeans or a considerable amount of soybean products per day, and different soybeans and their products can be selected for three meals a day, 20 grams of soybeans are equivalent to about 60 grams of northern tofu, about 110 grams of southern tofu, about 45 grams of dried tofu, and about 300 grams of soy milk. At the same time, homemade soy milk must be boiled thoroughly; When cooking and eating soybeans and their products, reduce oil, salt and sugar:

"Drinking 300 ml of calcium a day can ensure that people meet their needs, and the intake of vegetable oil per person per day should not exceed 25 grams to ensure that the energy required is controlled."

(This program is jointly recorded and broadcast by Jilin Provincial Science and Technology Association and Jilin News Comprehensive Broadcasting)