Using four main food groups is the best possible way for ensuring of safeguarding balance and diversity in food program, i.e. bread, cereals, fruit, vegetable, milk, dairies, meat and grains.

Of course, if you like not to gain weight, it is recommended not to eat more than what your body needs.

 Using four main food groups is the best possible way for ensuring of safeguarding balance and diversity in food program, i.e. bread, cereals, fruit, vegetable, milk, dairies, meat and grains.

  • Bread and Grains Group

Grains and bread group includes bread, rice, macaroni, and grains. This group supplies our daily maximum energy.

  • Do not forget to make rice in steamed method, so that vitamins of steam rice will be safeguarded in water.
  • Use bran or whole-wheat flour breads such as Sangak (a kind of Iranian bread which is baked on stone) and barley bread instead of white-color breads.
  • To complete protein of bread and grain group, it is better to consume them in mixed form with cereals, such as lentil, split pea, bean with rice, etc.
  • Use sprout of grains and cereals in your diet, because, sprout of grains and cereals will double absorption of food which is rich in various types of body’s required vitamins.
  • Vegetable and Fruit Group

 Vegetable and fruit group includes various types of leafy or root- based vegetables coupled with colorful fruits.

  • This group conveys various types of vitamins, minerals and fiber to our body.
  • Tomato, bell pepper, and citrus fruits and leafy vegetable are rich in vitamin “C”. It is recommend using vitamin “C” everyday.
  • Yellow-, orange-, red- and green-color fruits and vegetables such as spinach, carrot, tomato, cantaloupe, apricot and tangerine are rich in vitamin “A”.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables increases strength of body to various types of infections and will cause reconstruction and rehabilitation of wounds, vision at darkness coupled with boost skin freshness.
  • To wash vegetable, put it in a container of 5-lit. Water after preliminary cleaning and washing. Then, add five drops of dishwashing liquid in it. After five minutes, wash vegetables completely. To disinfect vegetables, pour half a tablespoon perchlorate powder in five liters of water and leave vegetable for five minutes. Finally, wash vegetable completely and consume it.
  • Consuming fruit after eating food will increase better absorption of iron.
  • Daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetable will reduce risk of cancer considerably.
  • Food fibers which are found in fruit and vegetable group will low blood fat and also prevents from constipation. Moreover, risk of cancer will be reduced considerably.

  • Milk and Dairies Group

 Milk and dairies group includes milk, yogurt, and whey (dried whey).

  • Adults are recommended using 2-3 cups of milk or yogurt daily, otherwise, their body will lose required calcium and their bone will be decalcified in the long run. Consumption of dairies is very low among Iranians. For this purpose, most adults and adolescents are suffering from osteoporosis.
  • Full- fat milks have high calorie and can cause you overweight. If you can, use low- fat milk (2.5 percent fat milk).
  • If milk is not pasteurized, add small water to it and let it boil for one minute. Then, drink it with peace of mind.
  • Keep fresh cheese in brine (salty water) for at least two months and then eat it.
  • Before consuming any whey, add water to it. Then. Boil it for at least 5 to 10 minutes and eat it.
  • High consumption of carbonated soft drink will entangle balance of body phosphor and calcium. Repeated drinking of carbonated soft drink will cause outbreak of osteoporosis.

  • Group 4: Meat, Cereals and Egg
  • Protein of egg white is very high. Even, its amount exceeds protein of meat. At any rate, protein of meat is better than protein of egg white.
  • Before cooking meat, chicken and fish, their fat should be separated. Chicken’s skin has high fat which should be peeled out before consuming.
  • Fat and cholesterol of brain, tongue and tripe is very high and it is recommended not to exceed consuming these materials.
  • It is better to consume white meat like poultry and fish meat instead of consuming red meat. However, it is recommended to use poultry meat. It is also recommended to eat fish twice a week.
  • Cholesterol of egg yolk is also high and adults are recommended not to eat more than three eggs in a week whether lonely or mixed form in Kuku (a mixture of egg with vegetables), cutlets and omelets.
  • For boiling frozen meat, it should be cooked immediately after being taken out from refrigerator. For de- freezing meat, it should be taken out from freezer 24 hours before cooking and then, it should be kept in refrigerator.
  • Girls and women who are experiencing growth especially children under 2 years old with anemia and iron deficiency should receive more ferrous food. The foods rich in iron include as follows: meat, liver, egg, cereals, brains, dried fruits, green- leaf vegetables such as spinach, etc.
  • For boiling frozen meat, they should be cooked immediately after being out from freezer.
  • Never ever drink tea one hour before eating and two hours after eating, because, drinking tea in these periods will prevent iron from being absorbed in body.
  • Iron drop should be given to infants as of six-month old and it should last for two years. After delivery, women are recommended to use iron drop for 3 to 4 months after childbirth.

Group 5: Fats and Pastries (Cookies)

Adults and adolescents of this group should consume minimum pastries.

  • Due to their high saturated fat and also high trance fatty acids, shortening oil is not recommended to be used, because, these oils are detrimental for health condition and can outbreak cardiovascular diseases. It is better to remove consumption of shortening oil from your diet and replace them with vegetable oils. On the other hand, vegetable oils are oxidized in high temperatures in a way that these oils in high temperature can cause cancer. Vegetable oils should not be exposed to the direct temperature of frying; rather, they should be poured on food such as rice and salad. To fry food, use vegetable oils special of frying.
  • Omega- 3 fats are useful for our health and consumption of omega- 3 is recommended to all. Fish, seafood and nuts of almond and walnut are rich in omega 3. It is recommended to eat fish twice a week and/or try to consume walnut in breakfast.
  • Keep consumable oils in a closed- cap container and also keep them away from direct sunlight.
  • It is better to use date instead of sugar and lump sugar for drinking tea.
  • Low- salt and gas- free dough and/or water are recommended to be replaced with carbonated soft drinks. Never ever use carbonated soft drink.
  • To prevent from blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, prevent from eating high amount of salt. Avoid adding salt to food at the tablecloth gathering.
  • Choose iodine- rich salt and be careful to use purified salt for consumption. To keep iodine available in salt, store and keep in in dark-color container (salt sprayer). Keep salt shaker cap closed always. Do not place saltshaker in a wet environment and add salt to food at the end of cooking, because, it salt is used in food for a long time; its iodine will be removed. Keep in mind that using iodine- based salt is the sole way for assuring of receiving body’s required iodine and also prevention of goiter.