Current Moscow Time: 20:19:2718 May 2013
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Food and Nutrition
Author: Linda DeLaine
Website: RL Online
Department:
Page: 1 ( 2) pages
Summary: How does the average Russian diet size up nutritionally?
Russian cuisine is wonderful; of that there is no doubt. But, how healthy is a steady diet of it? Bread, soups, pickled fish and other daily mainstays of the Russian table can make for a hearty diet. To fully understand what we consider balanced nutrition, refer to the Food Guide Pyramid. Basically, this guide states that we should consume 6 - 11 servings of starch, 3 - 5 servings of vegetables, 2 - 4 servings of fruit, 2 - 3 servings of dairy, 2 - 3 servings of meat (protein) and a trace amount of fats and sugar per day.
Let's take a look at just one possible, basic Russian daily menu and see how it adds up:
| Meal | Menu | Exchanges | |
| Breakfast: | black bread, eggs, cheese, sausage,
butter, tea |
starch:
3 vegetable: 0 fruit: 0 |
protein: 2.3 dairy: 2 fat/sugar: 22 |
| Child's Breakfast | hot oatmeal (plain) (high in Iron, B and A vitamins, etc.) |
starch:
1.6 vegetable: 0 fruit: 0 |
protein: 0 dairy: 0 fat/sugar: .5 |
| Dinner: | pickled fish, vegetables, bread, soup, meat or fish, potato and dessert (stewed fruit) | starch: 3 vegetable: 2 fruit: 1 |
protein: 4.3 dairy: 0 fat/sugar: 6 |
| Supper: | same as dinner, but without the soup or dessert | starch: 3 vegetable: 1 fruit: 0 |
protein: 2 dairy: 0 fat/sugar: 1.5 |
| Grand Totals: Keep in mind these are rough estimates |
starch: 9 (6-11
suggested) vegetable: 3 (3-5 suggested) fruit: 1 (2-4 suggested) protein: 8.5 (2-3 suggested) dairy: 2 (2-3 suggested) fat/sugar: 34.5 (trace suggested) |
||
At a glance, it would appear that the average Russian diet is not
anymore unbalanced than that enjoyed by Americans. It needs more fruit, could
do with more vegetable and would benefit from a reduced fat intake. Sound
familiar?
Unlike Americans, the heaviest meals of the Russian day are
breakfast and dinner. The evening meal, supper, is light. This is a much
healthier habit than eating little, if any, breakfast and a large evening meal.
Much of the fish and vegetables are pickled or marinated. Vinegar is very high
in potassium and, also, contains calcium and iron.
Below are some common food items and their nutritional breakouts.
| Black Bread - Nutrition Per
Serving (16 servings per loaf) |
||
| Total Calories: 155 | ||
| % from fat: 14 | % from carbs: 77 | % from protien: 9 |
| Total Fat: 2
grams; 4% ( percentages are of daily allowances based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet) Saturated fat; 1 gr.; 6% |
||
| monounsaturated fat: 1 gr; 6% | ||
| polyunsaturated fat: trace; 1% | ||
| Cholesterol: 4 mg; 1% | Potassium: 162mg; 5% | Sodium: 151mg; 6% |
| Total
Carbohydrates: 30 gr; 10% Dietary Fiber: 2 gr; 7% |
||
| Protien: 4 gr; 7% | Iron: 1 mg; 8% | Calcium: 18 mg; 2% |
| Zinc: 1mg; 3% | Vit. A: 57 IU; 1% | Thiamin: .2 mg; 13% |
| Riboflavin: .1 mg; 7% | Folacin: 39 mcg; 10% | Niacin: 1 mg; 7% |
| Food Exchanges: 1.5 Starch; .5 Fat | ||