Diet and Nutrition Pagoda

The core value of the Diet and Nutrition Pagoda is never to force everyone to make three meals a day based on a fixed weight, but to provide people with different needs with a flexible and adjustable dietary structure reference - there is no so-called "only correct way to eat", the version that suits your physical condition and living habits is the "personalized customized Pagoda" that is truly suitable for you.

Don't tell me, I helped a best friend who works in administration get through this pit a while ago. In order to adjust her blood lipids, she printed out the pagoda recommendations of the 2022 Dietary Guide and posted them on the refrigerator, and cooked according to the gram weight every day: 300 grams of cereals and potatoes, 100 grams of which were whole grains, and 500 grams of dark green vegetables, half of which. After work, she hurriedly hurried to cook. I later changed the plan for her: when catching the subway in the morning, I bought steamed corn as a whole grain, added an extra plate of stir-fried lettuce to the lunch in the company cafeteria, and replaced the milk tea in the afternoon with roasted sweet potatoes from the convenience store downstairs.

When it comes to this, some people will definitely refute it. Aren’t people on the Internet saying that the proportion of traditional pagoda rice potatoes is too high and can easily raise blood sugar? I specifically asked my senior sister who has been in the nutrition department of a tertiary hospital for almost ten years about this. Her opinion was quite neutral: There is no "universal" nutrition pagoda on the market, and the versions for different groups of people are different. The Diet Pagoda for Residents released by the National Health Commission is based on the current dietary situation of the vast majority of ordinary residents in China. In the past, many people ate only polished rice and white flour, insufficient intake of high-quality protein and vegetables, and too much oil and salt, so cereals and potatoes were placed at the bottom. It was recommended to eat more whole grains and beans instead of polished rice and white flour. If you already have insulin resistance, or your doctor specifically requires sugar control, you can completely lower the proportion of cereals and potatoes and replace them with more low-glycemic green leafy vegetables. You can even put the proportion of high-quality protein and vegetables at the top like proponents of low-carb diets do. There is no right or wrong, only whether it is suitable or not. I have also seen exclusive pagodas made by vegetarian enthusiasts, putting soy products and mushrooms at the core of the protein layer. The version for fitness parties directly doubles the recommended amount of high-quality protein. They are all adjusted according to their own needs. There is no problem at all.

For example, I went to eat Chongqing hotpot with my friends last week. I couldn’t just use a scale to cook and weigh the food, right? In fact, just have a big frame of the pagoda in your mind: first boil half a plate of spinach and lettuce to pad your belly, then eat some high-quality protein such as shrimps and smoothies. When you are half full, add two pieces of lotus root slices and potatoes as the staple food. Fatty beef and fat sheep. If you choose high-fat foods, just eat two or three slices less, and choose sugar-free iced black tea for drinks. You won’t be disappointed after the meal. It is also completely in line with the core logic of Pagoda’s “more vegetables, less meat, less fat and less sugar”. There is no need to tweak the few grams of error.

In fact, many people don’t know that Pagoda’s recommended amount is originally calculated based on the weekly average, and it does not require you to accurately meet the target every day. For example, I ate takeout for three days in a row this week while working on a project, and I ate less vegetables. I could cook multigrain porridge at home on the weekend, stir-fry seasonal vegetables, cook some shrimp, and make up for it. Don’t worry because I didn’t eat enough 300 grams of vegetables on a certain day. Instead, I would develop an eating disorder. That would be more gain than loss.

I usually have to go out to shoot materials. Sometimes I am out all day long and I don’t have the conditions to cook for myself. I will carry a small apple or a small box of small tomatoes with me, and when I pass by a convenience store, I will buy a box of original nuts with no additives. When I eat, It is preferable to choose a set meal with vegetables, eggs and meat, such as Shaxian's fragrant noodles with steamed dumplings and hot vegetables, or Lanzhou ramen with a fried egg and two more spoons of vegetables. After all, it basically fits the structure of the pagoda, and it is better than eating hamburgers and fried chicken every day.

To put it bluntly, the Nutrition Pagoda is never a hard KPI posted on the refrigerator, but more like a simple map you carry in your pocket when you go out. You don’t have to follow every path marked on it. It doesn’t matter if you take a detour to eat hot pot and drink a cup of milk tea occasionally. The direction is correct, eat more vegetables and high-quality protein, and avoid foods high in oil, salt, and sugar. You can always achieve your desired goals: whether it is weight control, blood sugar regulation, or just want to be healthy and avoid two trips to the hospital. Finding a version that you can stick to is better than anything else.