You see, we have these technical terms to describe the composition of our foodstuffs, but we eat real meals composed of real food and there is something lost between the comprehension and usage of the terms. We all know that we need to eat protein and carbohydrates but do we know why? And while fats and oils are seen as bad guys in modern nutrition, do we understand why it is that small amounts of these nutrients remain essential for health and vitality?
Protein can be either animal or vegetable in origin. Many meat eaters (carnivores) are adamant that there are no adequate vegetable sources of protein but this is blatant rubbish. There are many adequate sources of protein for the enthusiastic vegetarian but one word of caution. Within the body, protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids. While it is not true to say that vegetable sources of protein are inadequate, it is true to say that no single vegetable protein source is sufficient in itself to provide all the amino acids required for health. Thus, it is essential that vegetarians eat a range of protein sources in order to ensure that they consume all the amino acids essential for strength and vitality.
Protein contains about 4 calories per gram but remember that few (if any) foods are entirely composed of pure protein – there are other constituents in real food. Protein provides the building blocks of the body and is essential for muscle growth and strength. Our hair and nails and skin all have protein content and, therefore, protein consumption has a role to play in beauty as well as health. Protein tends to coagulate or harden in the heat of cooking (think of the way egg white solidifies when it is heated) and this can often be a way of detecting protein foods. Eggs, of course, are very high in protein (the yolk of the egg contains essential fats and oils – more on that later) as are cheese and meat. Vegetarian sources include tofu, beans, lentils of all types and legumes. Most vegetables have a small amount of protein in them, but they tend to be largely carbohydrate.
Like protein, carbohydrate has about 4 calories per gram. Unlike protein, carbohydrate is the body’s preferred energy source. Carbohydrates can be simple (sugars found in fruits, juices and sweets – as well as many processed food options) or complex like roti, starches (e g potatoes) and grains. Rice is the staple carbohydrate food for most of Asia. As you can see, carbohydrates themselves are not hugely calorific (calorie dense – or fattening). Vegetable matter is generally primarily carbohydrate and has the added benefit of dietary fibre. Vegetables (and fruits) are high in dietary fibre which provides essential bulk to the diet, enabling easy and efficient elimination of waste matter. Fibre is thought to have a role to play in avoiding bowel cancers and has received much attention from doctors and nutritionists since the 1980s.
While it is not true to say that vegetable sources of protein are inadequate, it is true to say that no single vegetable protein source is sufficient in itself to provide all the amino acids required for health.
However, as mentioned in previous articles, we have an evolutionarily developed preference for high sugar, high fat and high salt foods and this has led to a tendency to prefer the taste of vegetable and fruit matter with high levels of these added nutrients. This does not detract from the beneficial effects of the fibre contained therein, but it certainly does detract from benefits, which might otherwise be conferred by this essential dietary energy source naturally low in sugars and salt. The most healthful way of eating fruits and vegetables is to consume them raw, peeled if necessary, but without added salt, sugar or oil. Salads of raw vegetables are, arguably, an acquired taste, but the subtleties of this dietary choice have huge health benefits. It is true to say that vegetables cooked only lightly without added flavourings can appear bland to those unaccustomed to consuming this kind of food.
Of course, fruit is the original healthy sugar source and we are sold fruit juices in modern settings, as a healthy option. But in fruit juices the fibre is not present – so it is so tempting to carry on drinking it and thereby drinking calories that we neither need, nor really want.
And so we come to the bid bad wolf! Fats and oils, ghee, palm oil, cooking oil, and the biggest villain of the piece, hydrogenated vegetable oil. Fats and oils differ only in their state at room temperature. If they are solid at room temperature they are classified as fats; if they are liquid then they are classified as oils. Whatever they are called, this nutritional group is collectively called lipids and they contain more than twice as many calories, weight for weight as either carbohydrate or protein: 9 calories per gram.
Fats and oils make food more appealing. The addition of fats and oils adds “mouth feel” to a food, making it more tasty, tempting, delicious and pleasing. Some vitamins (A, D E and K) are fat soluble and for that reason, we must ensure that we always include a small amount of them in our diets, as there is no other dietary source of these micro-nutrients. The addition of fats and oils to our foods are essential in many forms of cooking. Frying is a very quick method, one of the quickest and it does make food appealing. But by adding ghee, fat or oil to your food you are not just adding taste, you are adding calories – in their richest form. And the biggest problem is that they are already in a storable format – so your body has to do very little work in order to shunt them away for storage around your waist or on your thighs or backside. The worst thing is that some of these calories, especially if they are eaten in the form of animal fats (but also from palm oil) will contain a special type of fat called cholesterol. Cholesterol is not stored on your hips and thighs, it gets stored inside your blood vessels. This narrows the arteries and makes it harder for the blood cells to get through.
Food is enjoyable. Food is a pleasure. Food enhances social interaction and social gatherings. But food can kill. Food is not clinical like the analysis above. Food is composed of protein, carbohydrates and fats, but it is presented to us as meals, snacks and drinks. We don’t choose a plate of nutrients, we choose a plate of food. We need to be a little more mindful of the nutrients contained in our food and drink – rather than hedonistic about the flavours it will give us.
Writer is a graduate psychologist with a Post Graduate Certification in Education
rbaryal@talktalk.net
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