Nutritional Rations, Meal Planning, and Therapeutic Diets
Understanding Food Rations
A ration is the standard amount of food typically served on a plate. Rations are approximate; their use should be comfortable, staying within approximate limits. Rations within the same food group are interchangeable because their nutritional content is similar.
The Food Pyramid
Rations must incorporate every kind of food, which is easily explained using the Food Pyramid. Visually, rations are typically calculated based on the needs of average-weight, healthy adult males and females.
How to Allocate Rations
Rations should be allocated across 4 or 5 meals throughout the day. The volume and timing of meals depend on the capabilities of each person. Key practices include:
- Eating calmly, without haste, and chewing each bite thoroughly.
- Combining all food intake throughout the day to ensure a varied, comprehensive, and balanced diet.
- Avoiding unnecessary snacking. Snacking often involves consuming more calories than intended and usually consists of highly caloric foods.
Family Meal Planning
Planning Time
Meal plans should be created for periods longer than a week to ensure variety and prevent repetition.
Tastes and Needs
Planning must suit the preferences, customs, and economic capacity of the individuals consuming the meals.
General Food Standards
Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Adults
- Variety in Meals: Monotonous diets are often unbalanced. Ensure a wide variety of foods.
- Avoid Overeating: Eating 20% more than the required calories leads to overweight or obesity. Consume only the energy needed.
- Eat Slowly: Eating slowly and chewing well helps achieve a feeling of fullness, provides satisfaction, and ends hunger.
- Limit Fat Intake: Fat intake should not exceed 30% of the person’s total caloric needs.
- Increase Fiber: Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If current fiber intake is low, increase the dose gradually.
- Limit Sugar Consumption: Glycosides should account for 55% of energy needs. Choose fruit instead of candy.
- Reduce Salt Intake: Current average consumption (10 grams) should be reduced to 5 grams to prevent hypertension.
- Alcohol: If consumed, drink in moderation.
Nutritional Recommendations for Healthy Seniors
- Dairy Products: Consume 0.5 to 1 liter of skimmed or semi-skimmed dairy daily for calcium (low fat is preferred). Fresh cheese can be consumed 2 or 3 times a week.
- Eggs, Meat, and Fish: These provide necessary protein. Note that digestion is less effective in seniors, leading to lower protein absorption, which is critical during disease processes or fractures.
- Grains, Legumes, and Tubers: Should account for 55% to 60% of the diet, depending on the elderly person’s tolerance.
- Vegetables and Fruits: Consume two servings daily, cooked or raw. They provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Prepare in different styles (peeled, cut, fruit salad, etc.).
- Fatty Foods (Lipids): Lipids should range from 30% to 35% of the diet. Use crude oils (raw) whenever possible, and minimize fried foods.
- Superfluous Foods: Limit wine and fermented beverages to 1 or 2 glasses. Stimulant beverages should be consumed as tolerated. Reduce candy consumption.
- Liquids: Intake should be 1.5 liters daily.
Therapeutic Diets
Therapeutic diets involve specific dietary changes required for the management and treatment of various diseases.
Diets for Specific Conditions
Hypertensive Patients
Focus on achieving and maintaining ideal weight, exercising moderately and frequently, and reducing salt intake as much as possible.
Foods Prohibited (High Salt Content):
Bouillon cubes, packet soups, commercial bread, salted cod, cured ham (serrano), olives, biscuits, cakes, and cooking salt.
Foods to Limit (High Natural Salt Content):
Yogurt, cheese, shellfish, mussels, and sea fish.
Foods with Natural Salt Content (Generally Free Use):
Pulses (legumes), meat, milk powder, unsalted bread, artichokes.
Very Low Sodium Food (Free Use):
Endive, lettuce, natural tomato, onion, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms.
Diets for Obese Persons
Diabetics
Hypercholesterolemia (High Cholesterol)
Focus on reducing blood cholesterol by avoiding fatty foods and increasing fiber intake.
Other Types of Diets
- NPO (Nil Per Os): Suppression of all food and fluids taken by mouth.
- Liquid Diet: Food consumed only in a liquid state.
- Soft Diet: Includes liquid, semi-solid, and easily digestible solid foods.
- Light Diet: A transitional diet, typically following a soft diet and preceding a normal diet.
- Low-Calorie Diet: Designed to reduce caloric intake.
- High-Calorie Diet: Designed to increase caloric intake.
- Low-Fat Diet: Designed to reduce fat intake.
- Soft/Astringent Diet (Kasante Diet): Used to manage gastrointestinal issues, often involving easily digestible and binding foods.