The food we eat can be divided in to three main groups:
1: Body-building or flesh-forming foods, e.g proteins.
2: Energy-giving foods, e.g carbohydrates and fats.
3: Protective foods, e.g minerals and vitamins.
When planing meals, food from each one of these group must be provided. The foods selected should supply the required daily nutrients in the most digestible form.
At least three meals should be eaten every day; two big meal and one small one. It is essential that a meal be eaten in the morning in other to start the day's work well.
Fruit should be eaten every day, especially in the morning. It stimulates bowel action. Green vegetables supply vitamins and mineral salts.
They may be eaten either raw, in salads, or in stews or as an accompaniment to the main dish. Daily consumption of first-class protein should be encouraged.
Vary the menu by alternating fish with meat. Beans, peas, and groundnuts are valuable secound class protein in the meal.
Cereals and root vegetables supply carbohydrates, but they may be alternate in the menu. Some fat or oil should be eaten everyday.
Unbleached palm oil is rich in vitamin A and D. Ground-nut oil provides vitamin E.
Plenty of protective foods should be provided, e.g milk and egg. plenty of fresh food is very important. Stale and tinned foods lack some of the vital food substances.
Choose foods which are in season, because they are then the cheapest and best. Variety is essential. It promotes the appetite and you are more likely to supply the necessary nutrients in the correct proportions.
Plan ahead, because this saves time, energy, materials and money. Consider the number of people in the family, the age of the people eating the meal, their occupation, their state of health, the times of the meal, the money to be spent, and the cooking time allowed.
plan to use up left-overs, as this saves time and money. Serve simple but well-cooked and nourishing food and introduce new ways of serving. Plan and serve foods attractively so that the family will learn to eat a large variety of foods.
BREAKFAST
This being the first meal of the day, it should be nourishing and digestible. The quantity depends on the requirement of the individual.
For most people it should be substantial, becuase the interval between breakfast and the next meal is usually long and during this time a considerable amount of energy is used up, especially by children of school-going age, and by manual workers.
I WILL LIKE TO DROP THIS SUGGESTIONS FOR BREAKFAST WHICH CAN BE OF HELP TOO IN THE BODY.
Fruit: to supply vitamin C and acids to stimulate the digestive juices and bowel movement, e.g paw-paw, oranges, pineapples, fruit juices.
Cereals: porridge, corn dough, millet meal, guinea corn meal, oats, rice water, cassava meal, ground rice.
Fish: fried fish, e.g herrings, sardines, kippers, fish stew, fish cakes.
Meat: Fried liver, kidney, bacon, sausage, meat stew, meat balls.
Eggs: boiled, poached, scrambled, fried, omelette.
Vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, and okra.
carbohydrates foods: bread, root vegetables (e.g yam, and cassava), also plantains, kenkey, rice,beans, garri.
Fat: butter, margarine, and oil in stews.
Drink: coffee, tea, cocoa, milk, water.
LAUNCH AND DINNER
The size and character will vary with the individual and the family.
Carbohydrates: root vegetables, cereals, plantains.
These may be prepared in various forms, e.g garri, kenkey meals, etc
Protein: meat, fish, beans, peas, groundnuts.
Fats: palm nuts, palm oil, nut oils, vegetable oils.
Vegetables: salads, vegetables stews, boiled green vegetables, okros, tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkins.
Fruits: bananas, oranges, mangoes, pawpaw.
Sweets: custerds, puddings, fruit salad, stewed fruit.
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