reflections..

Through this food record, I'd understand more about my diet and my nutrient intake. I'd learnt that for those 3 days, my diet was unhealthy :( and my energy intake was more than what i needed. My intake of sodium and saturated fats were greater than the recommended amounts while my intake of calcium is lower than the recommended. And these can cause serious health issues later down the road if I increases or reduce these intakes. Therefore, I have to make some adjustments to my eating lifestyle so that I will have a HEALTHY (and balanced) DIET! ^^

I can perhaps cut down on the intake of coconut-milk based foods, blended oil etc in order to cut down on my intake of saturated fats and choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods so as to reduce my sodium intake. Besides that, I should also consume calcium-enriched breads and biscuits, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified juices, high-calcium soya bean milk, ikan bilis, sardines (with bones), tofu, as well as milk and other dairy products since Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium.

Also, the suggested nutritional tools are really useful in the sense that they serve as a motivation for me to keep track of my diet and stay healthy. :D However, it could have been much more useful if there were more food items available. >< The analysis were really in depth but at the same time clear and easy to understand, hence allowing me to understand my diet better and my diet's adjustment that i need to take.

I consider my one-dish meal (Spaghetti Aglio Olio Piccante with Broccoli and Ham) to be healthy. Firstly, the intake of sodium is lower than the usual recipes. Secondly, unsaturated oil - olive oil instead of saturated oil, which contributes to high levels of cholesterol in the blood (a risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease) , is used is used in this recipe. Also, Olive oil is the best, healthiest oil there is and it's important for our health! :'D Besides that, using wholemeal spaghetti, the fibre intake will be increased and the calories intake is also reduced. (Y) At the same time, this dish adheres to the Healthy Diet Pyramid and is a balanced meal that consists of dietary fibre, water and nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

-spaghetti -> carbohydrates

-broccoli ->dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals

-ham ->proteins and fats

Hence, I feel that my suggested one-dish meal is rather healthy :DD

lOVe,

❤ernice :b

RECOMMENDED USEFUL APPS!

here are some cool apps that are really useful since they are health tools.

1. HPB DIET TRACKER

Keep track of your calorie and fat intake on the go, with Diet Tracker mobile phone app. This is a useful tool that helps us keep track of our calorie and fat intake through our mobile phones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Java mobile platforms). Its function is similar to the Food Intake Assessment just that this app is easier to access :D

2. HEALTHY CHEF (iPhone)

Introducing Healthy Chef, an app which provides over 70 healthier (and mouth-watering) recipes created by renowned chefs in Singapore! There are recipes for Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western cuisines, plus you can search for recipes according to their calorie content. You also get to rate the recipes, publish them on Facebook and add reminders in your calendar to prepare the recipes you have chosen. (WOW!)

What’s more, the app will adjust the amount of ingredients needed for cooking based on the number of servings that you have specified, and consolidate a shopping list for your convenience. The app also highlights products carrying HPB’s Healthier Choice Symbol, so you can look out for them while grocery shopping :}

3. buUuk (iPhone and Android)

Looking for healthier dining options near you? Try buUuk! It is an phone application which allows you to search for healthier eateries near you using GPS or find the eatery of your choice using its search engine. You can then use the built-in-maps to find your way to the restaurant or call to make a reservation. After dining, you can also share your comments or rate the restaurant in the forum.

WEE~ so what are you waiting? Better go download these useful apps right away~ :D

lOVe,

❤ernice :b

my ONE-DISH MEAL

Spaghetti Aglio Olio Piccante with Broccoli and Ham^^

ingredients:

WHOLEMEAL spaghetti 240g

Chilli Garlic Sauce (hcs) 30g (i used maggi chilli garlic sauce as it is a healthier choice)

Broccoli 100g

Picnic Ham 4 slices

OLIVE Oil 1 tbsp

PANsalt 0.25 tsp

Parmesan Cheese 40g

Water (to boil pasta and broccoli)

1. Cut broccoli into smaller pieces and boil them in slightly salted water.

2. Strain and put into a mixing bowl. Toss with chilli sauce and olive oil.

3. Cut the ham into smaller pieces.

3. Cook pasta, strain and add to mixing bowl. Toss with broccoli and stir fry with ham.

4. Add Parmesan cheese and mix well.

5. Serve hot :)

healthy cooking...

** Cook vegetables LIGHTLY or until JUST COOKED to retain their crunch and flavour.

Overcooking will reduce the amount of nutrients in vegetables

** Use unsaturated oils, in this case, olive oil, instead of saturated oils such as ghee, butter,

blended vegetables to reduce our risk of heart disease.

** Plant based foods such as wholemeal (e.g. brown rice, wholemeal bread and oats),

vegetables, fruits and beans are rich in fibre, which promote the feeling of fullness and

help in blood sugar control. This is why I specially used wholemeal spaghetti in this dish :)

** The reason why I chose PAN SALT is because it is healthier and lower in sodium, hence,

the intake of sodium can be reduced but at the same time, it gives off the same savory flavour as common salt do.

** Also, i substituted the initial ingredient bacon with ham as ham is healthier, containing less sodium, cholesterol and fats. Hence, my intake of sodium can be reduced :)

Using the health tool --> RECIPE ANALYSIS:

Recipe Name	:	spaghetti
No. of serving(s)	:	4

Recipe Analysis

Ingredient Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Total Fat (g) Saturated Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Carbohydrate (g) Dietary Fibre (g) Sodium (mg) Spaghetti, wholemeal, boiled 313 14 2 0.5 0 59 13.7 12 Chilli sauce, bottle, commercial 34 1 0 0.0 0 7 0.2 343 Broccoli, boiled 28 3 0 0.1 N.A 5 2.9 26 Oil, olive 135 0 15 2.1 0 0 0.0 0 Salt, Pansalt, low sodium 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 288 Cheese, parmesan 177 15 13 8.2 38 0 0.0 574 Water, plain 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 Ham, lean and fat 123 15 6 2.3 38 1 0.0 1,477 Total (per serving) 202 12 9 3.3 19 18 4.2 680

lOVe,

❤ernice :b

Aim for variety and balance

Use the Healthy Diet Pyramid as a guide when planning our meals and snacks. No one food can provide all the nutrients we need, so make sure that we consume a variety of food from the 4 food groups:

• Rice and alternatives
• Fruit and vegetables
• Meat and alternatives
• Fats, oils, sugar and salt

Remember that food high in fat, sugar and salt should only be eaten sparingly.

Since the energy and nutrient needs vary from birth to pre-school and school-going ages, there are specific recommended number of servings for each of the food group for different age groups. Having the right number of servings in the daily diet will help us get all the nutrients we needs.

Food Groups	Recommended number of servings^ per day
	7-12 months	1-2 years	3-6 years	7-12 years	13-18 years
Rice and Alternatives (Do include the recommended whole-grain serving as part of the Rice and Alternatives serving needs.) Whole-grains	1-2 ½	2-3 ½ - 1	3-4 1 - 2	5-6 2 - 3	6-7 2 - 3
Fruit	½	½ - 1	1	2	2
Vegetables	½	½	1	2	2
Meat and Alternatives	½	½	1	2	2
Milk (Do include the recommended milk serving in addition to the Meat and Alternatives serving needs.)	750ml	750ml	500ml	250-500ml	250-500ml

There are so many types of food you can eat each day and you have to make the right choices to stay well nourished. As mentioned before, there is no one food that can provide all the nutrients your body needs. You have to eat a wide variety of food, all in moderation and in the right balance.

The Healthy Diet Pyramid serves as a guide to help you plan a healthy diet. Follow it and you will achieve a well-balanced diet that provides the nutrients you need, in the right amounts, each day.

Food Group	Number of Servings /Day	Example of 1 Serving
Rice and Alternatives	5-7	2 slices bread (60g) ½ bowl* rice (100g) ½ bowl noodles or beehoon (100g) 4 plain biscuits (40g) 1 thosai (60g) 2 small chapatis (60g) 1 large potato (180g) 1 ½ cup plain cornflakes (40g)
Fruit	2	1 small apple, orange, pear or mango (130g) 1 wedge pineapple, papaya or watermelon (130g) 10 grapes or longans (50g) 1 medium banana ¼ cup*** dried fruit (40g) 1 glass pure fruit juice (250ml)
Vegetables	2	¾ mug** cooked leafy or non-leafy vegetables (100g) ¼ round plate+ cooked vegetables 150g raw leafy vegetables 100g raw non-leafy vegetables
Meat and Alternatives	2-3	1 palm-sized piece fish, lean meat or skinless poultry (90g) 2 small blocks soft beancurd (170g) ¾ cup cooked pulses (e.g. lentils, peas, beans) (120g) 5 medium prawns (90g) 3 eggs (150g)++ 2 glasses milk (500 ml) 2 slices of cheese (40g)

* rice bowl ** 250ml mug *** 250ml cup +10 inch plate
++ While 3 eggs are equivalent in protein content to other items listed under the meat and alternatives group, egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Thus, eat no more than 4 egg yolks per week.

Also, this document that i had discovered on the HPB website is very interesting and at the same, comprehensive!! It can be found at HERE! yup, so check it out! The information that is covered is very in depth and easy to understand, hence, allowing me to learn more about our diet! :)

lOVe,

❤ernice :b