Give thought to those snacks served at meetings
View(s):Numerous are the meetings that people attend to discuss important issues, snacking all the while without a thought, on the fried, salted and sugared short-eats temptingly placed around the table.
With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes on a sharp rise, the Health Ministry, the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) and the Sri Lanka Medical Nutrition Association (SLMNA) launched the booklet ‘Eats @ Meets’, a guide to menu planning at worksite meetings, on World Health Day on April 7.
The contributors who are showing the way to healthy eating at meetings are CCPSL President Dr. Deepika Attygalle, SLMNA President Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, Dr. Carukshi Arambepola, Dr. Manoji Gamage, Prof. Nalika Gunawardena, Dr. Himali Jayakody, Dr. Jayani Tennakoon Jayaweera, Dr. Shiromi Maduwage, Dr. Virginie Mallawaarachchi, Dr. Paba Palihawadana, Dr. Susie Perera, Dr. Sathira Perera, Dr. Shamini Prathapan, Dr. Sameera Senanayake, Dr. Nimali Vidanapathirana and Dr. Nalinda Wellappuli.
The booklet covers menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner; beverage, dessert and snack and snack-salad options; and tips for snacks at different times of the day–MediScene
reproduces them here.
What are ‘Healthy Meeting Meals’?
A healthy meeting meal is:
Well balanced – including all the macro nutrients (carbohydrate, proteins and, fats) and micronutrients (minerals and vitamins)
Limited in foods that are high in solid fat, added sugar and salt
A healthy meeting meal
does NOT need to:
Be restrictive in any way
Leave individuals feeling hungry
Be boring or bland
Here are some tips to encourage healthier food and beverage choices at workplace meetings, conferences, and other events.
Colourful variety of fruits and vegetables
Include an abundance of fruits and vegetables to help keep attendees focused and full of energy.
Ensure at least half of all food items served contain fruits and vegetables prepared without high amounts of added fat, sugar or sodium (salt).
Display fruits and vegetables attractively and prominently.
Offer seasonal and local fruits and vegetables when available.
Offer unpolished rice, brown rice and whole-grain products as part of healthful curries, greens, salads and mixed dishes.
If offering meat, fish or poultry, serve portions of 90-100g or smaller.
Offer meat, fish or poultry prepared using healthier cooking methods such as cooked mirisata or grilled.
Offer cheese in small portions (1/2 inch squares or smaller).
Consider adding meat, fish or poultry to salads and mixed dishes to reduce protein portion sizes.
Offer smaller portion sizes and prepare food in ways that reduce added calories
Offer foods flavoured with spices and herbs instead of salt.
Offer healthier milk products in small portions
Offer fat free or low fat dairy products with coffee or tea.
Offer snacks that are low in calories and high in nutrients
Focus on nutrient-dense food and beverages.
Include healthier snack options such as fruit, vegetables, raw or dry-roasted nuts and seeds with low or no added salt or sugar.
Limit sweets
Offer a wide selection of papaya, pineapple, bananas and other fruit individually, as fruit salad or added in desserts to reduce or replace added sugar.
Offer whole grain and low-sugar baked products.
Offer cakes without icing.
Offer plain yoghurt with fruit, minimizing added sugar.
Offer smaller size or “mini” desserts to limit calorie.
Standards to follow when providing
healthful choices
Here are some suggestions on healthy food choices for meetings. These can be mixed and matched to create a delicious meal full of nutrients and variety.
Beverages – must be one or a combination of the following
Drinking water available at all times
All other beverages containing no more than 25 calories per 240 ml (except 100% juice or milk)
Milk and sugar served separately with tea or coffee
If providing juice, 100% fruit juice (without added sugar and salt) and served in small cups
Fat free or 1% low fat dairy milk or calcium and vitamin D fortified soymilk
100% vegetable juice with no added sugar and salt
Breakfast, lunch and dinner standards
No more than 400 calories per item as offered
No more than 35% calories from fat (which would be no more than 15 grams of fat for a 400 calorie item)
No more than 10% calories from saturated fat (which would be no more than 4 grams of saturated fat for a 400 calorie item)
0 grams of trans fat
No more than 35% of calories from total sugars and a maximum of no more than 15 grams of total sugars in the item
No more than 480mg of sodium per item as offered
n Each food item must contain at least one of the following:
4 quarter cup of fruit, non-fried vegetable or fat-free/low-fat dairy
4 30mg of nuts or seeds
4 at least 50% of the grain are whole grain
4 at least 10% of the daily values of naturally occurring nutrients of public health concern (iron, vitamin A and D, calcium, potassium and fibre)
Whole grain options must be available when grains are served (e.g. Brown rice, whole wheat bread, rolls, wraps, brown rice). Limit to 1 ½ to 2 servings per person
Healthier protein options (fish/ skinless chicken, eggs)
Healthier protein options for vegetarians (pulses, soya, bean sprouts)
No fried foods (e.g. chips, cutlets)
No more than one portion of dessert per person
No doughnuts, pastries or sweet buns
No more than 10 grams of sugar per 80ml of yoghurt
Food prepared using healthy cooking methods (ambulthiyal, mirisata, baking, air frying, grilling, microwaving, pressure cooking)
In ordered lunch packets, the size of serving of rice is usually far in excess of what is recommended for an average adult who does not engage in excessive physical activity. Regular catering agencies to reduce the size of rice serving whilst keeping the size of vegetables the same or increasing it in specially ordered lunch packets.
Rice pullers such as chillie paste should not be served on to the plate and should be kept optional
Standards for snacks
No more than 200 calories per item as offered
No more than 35% of calories from fat (<7g of fat for a 200 calorie snack)
No more than 10% of calories from saturated fat (< 2g of saturated fat for a 200 calorie snack) with the exception for 100% nuts or seeds
0 grams of trans fat
No more than 35% of calories from total sugars and a maximum of no more than 10g of total sugars in the product (with the exception of fruits and vegetables not containing added sweeteners or fats; yogurt containing no more than 30g of total sugars per 240ml cup)
No more than 200mg of sodium per item
nEach snack food item must contain at least one of the following:
4 quarter cup of fruit, non-fried vegetable or fat-free/low-fat dairy
4 30mg of nuts or seeds
4 at least 50% of the product prepared with grain are whole grain
4 at least 10% of the daily values of naturally occurring nutrients of public health concern (iron, vitamins A & D, calcium, potassium, fibre)
Beverage Options
Sparkling, bottled, spring or calorie free flavoured water
100% fruit or vegetable juice (without added sugar or salt) – Served in 200ml
glasses
200ml servings of coffee or tea served plain (with non-fat or low-fat milk and one tea spoon of sugar optional)
200ml servings of flavoured tea (e.g. ginger tea, cinnamon tea, ice tea)
200ml servings of traditional beverages – hot or cold Belimal, Ranawara, Coriander with 5g (1 tea spoon) jaggery
King coconut, coconut water – 150ml
200ml servings of 100% fruit juice or fruit juice combined with water or carbonated water with no added sugar and salt
Herbal porridge without rice 150ml
Green tea, iced Thambili / tea
Sample menus for
Breakfast (per serving)
Menu 1: Chick pea (tempered with onions and chillies) and small pieces of coconut served in a 250ml bowl with a spoon
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 2: One egg hopper or two plain hoppers with Anamalu banana
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 3: One wrap (made of whole wheat flour) filled with chicken/fish and cabbage, tomatoes and salad leaves (Shawarma)
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 4: Two small Thosai (prepared with ulundu) and mixed vegetables served with coconut chutney
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 5: Two half slices of whole grain bread sandwiches filled with cucumber, tomatoes, sweet corn, eggs/tuna/chicken as filling and avocado as spreading
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 6: One kurakkan or whole wheat flour based waffles with cut strawberries and non-fat yoghurt
Beverage – Any of the above
Menu 7: Two idlis (made of vegetable oats) and served with coconut chutney
Beverage – Any of the above
Sample menus for Lunch and Dinner
Menu 1: 1-2 cups of brown rice/ traditional rice with root vegetable, leafy vegetable and fish/meat/soya
(Example: Rice, Spinach curry with dhal, Carrot sambol, Innala curry, Ambulthiyal fish)
Beverage -Water
Menu 2: 1-2 cups of white rice, mixed salad (carrot, tomato slices, sultana, peanuts, avocado), baked or grilled fish/chicken or soya tofu.
Beverage – Water
Menu 3: 1-2 cups of fried rice (with less salt and oil) mixed with vegetables in 1:1 ratio), fish/chicken curry with no added oil
Beverage – Water, broth or vegetable-based low sodium soup
Menu 4: Noodles, vegetable chop suey with added mushrooms, baked or grilled fish/chicken
Beverage – Water, broth or vegetable-based low sodium soup
Dessert Options
Fruit & yoghurt 100ml
Curd with treacle 80ml
Fresh fruits 1 bowl
Sesame – one small ball per person
One Popsicle made with fruit juices without added sugar or salt
Mandarin slices 4
Semolina pudding 100ml
Snack Options
Should have less sugar, less fat, less salt, more fibre, use of locally available ingredients, encourage vegetable and fruit consumption.
Examples:
Savoury – Less fat e.g. baked items – baked patties
Fat free cooking for chips
Baked Cutlets – Include vegetarian items – kohila, ,kos, polos rich in fibre
More fibre: Sandwiches with brown bread (added bran) (Order
half white and half brown in quantity)
Nuts – handful of unsalted cashew nuts, ground
nuts, pistachio, kottamba
Assortment of fresh fruit 250ml bowl
Fresh fruit or vegetable skewers or fresh fruit salad 1 bowl
Whole, fresh fruits like apples or bananas, lovi,
uguressa , veralu, nelli, guava one
Mixed vegetable platter with hummus
1 Cheese cube and whole grain 2 crackers
Medium sized 1 Helapa less sweet
Products with gingelly (Thala aluwa –
1 piece 5cm x 2cm)
Parippu wade, ulundu wade – air fried (1 per person)
Baked cutlets or patties instead of fried (Fish/ soya, polos)
Baked light pancake wrap – (4 inch diameter) – (filling of choice)
Cake without icing – carrot cake, banana cake, lemon cake,
ginger cake, cinnamon cake (1/10th of a 1 pound cake)
Air popped popcorn with no added butter or salt
(60 g per person)
Sago pudding 100ml
Options for snack salads
Salad leaves, pieces of orange, pieces of green apple, red
cabbage, green pepper and nuts with small pieces of naan bread chopped into the salad
Tomato, onion, green pepper, curd and naan
Shredded salad leaves, boiled cowpea, pomegranate, red cabbage
with lime and toasted garlic bread
Shredded Chinese cabbage, carrot, tomato slices, sultana, peanuts, avocado, served with toasted garlic brown bread
pieces/ or mix small quantity of boiled pasta into salad
Achcharu made of tropical local fruit
Tender spinach leaves, coriander leaves, sprouted mung, cashew nuts, diced avocado and ripe mango with lime in olive oil served with toasted naan
Tender spinach leaves, parboiled carrot, cucumber, boiled chopped ladies fingers/ beans with chickpeas paste and naan
Tips for snacks at different
times of the day
For morning meetings – where a breakfast full meal is not expected but the snack version can have the following Rice based/ grain based products that have a lower Glycaemic index (suitable for adults with risk for diabetes and people who are overweight)
Examples: Note the smaller sizes -
Mung kiribath smaller pieces
Small 2 inch diameter kurakkan roti with onion sambol with more lime (reduced salt)
Boiled piece of bathala/ manioc with a tablespoon of pol sambol with more lime than salt
A small 2 inch diameter dosai with green sambol