Weight Loss: Understanding the Nutritional Value of Various Foods and Scientifically Combining Diets for Healthy Fat Reduction

Nutritional Value of Staple Foods

Through thousands of years of human experience, we have learned that there are thousands of edible plants and animals. These thousands of foods can be broadly categorized into eight groups: grains, root vegetables, meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, dairy products, beans and dried fruits, and vegetables and fruits.

(I) Grains
Grains include rice, millet, corn, wheat, sorghum, and their products. Grains are staple foods, providing a considerable amount of energy (the primary source of heat) as well as a certain amount of protein and small amounts of fat, minerals, and vitamins. For example, 500 grams of rice, wheat flour, and corn flour provide 40 grams, 50 grams, and 45 grams of protein, respectively.

The nutritional value of protein in grains is relatively low, and the amino acid content varies among different types of grains. Therefore, mixing several types of grains can significantly improve their nutritional value. For example, pasta made with one-third corn flour, one-third wheat flour, and one-third soybean flour has a protein nutritional value several times higher than that made from wheat flour alone. Mixing grains, beans, and tubers not only supplements the mineral and vitamin deficiencies in staple foods but also allows for protein complementarity, enhancing nutritional value. Fortifying grains and their products with amino acids, minerals, and vitamins is also an important method for improving the nutritional value of staple foods. Experiments have shown that soybean flour is ideal as an additive because soybeans are rich in protein, which can increase the balance of amino acids in grains and improve the nutritional value of grain protein. Measurements have shown that adding 16 grams of soybeans to 100 grams of corn can increase the amino acid content from 40% to 70%. Adding 16 grams of soybeans to 100 grams of rice can increase the lysine content from 64% to 80%.

The protein in grains generally lacks certain essential amino acids, such as lysine. Furthermore, the increased refinement of grain products and improper processing techniques (such as multiple rice washing cycles and the use of alkali in dough leavening) lead to significant losses of certain nutrients. For example, 1 gram of hulled rice contains 4 micrograms of vitamin B₁ (thiamine). After one, two, and three milling processes, the content decreases by 1.8 micrograms, 1 microgram, and 0.8 micrograms respectively, a loss of 75%. Further processing can result in losses as high as 95%. The loss of vitamin B₂ (riboflavin), vitamin P (niacin), and iron can also reach 75-85%. High-yield flour contains B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and other trace elements, as well as higher levels of crude protein and fiber. Therefore, consuming more whole grains and "black flour" can provide more nutrients, crude protein, and crude fiber.

(II) Root Vegetables Root vegetables are staple foods or supplementary foods to staple foods. Root vegetables include sweet potatoes, potatoes, taro, and yams. Besides being rich in starch and dietary fiber, root vegetables also contain various nutrients. For example, sweet potatoes contain protein, fat, vitamin A (also called vitamin A), B₂, C, and the nine essential amino acids, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

(III) Meat Meat includes pork, beef, mutton, and other livestock and poultry meat and their products. The nutritional composition of meat is similar to that required by the human body. The amino acid structure of its protein is close to that required by the human body. Therefore, meat not only provides the body with protein (lean meat contains about 20% protein), fat, B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, but also provides more vitamin P compared to plant-based foods.

(IV) Fish, Shrimp, and Shellfish Fish includes both saltwater and freshwater fish, while shrimp and shellfish include shrimp, crab, oysters, and clams. Fish, shrimp, and shellfish are essential sources of protein for the body. One of the main sources of protein. Marine fish contain more protein than freshwater fish and are rich in fat-soluble vitamins, especially in the liver. Fish oil also contains more unsaturated fatty acids than other animal-based foods.

(V) Eggs Various eggs and their products are delicious foods. Eggs contain a variety of nutrients; for example, a 50-gram egg contains 5-6 grams of protein, 5-6 grams of fat, 30 milligrams of calcium, and 1.5 milligrams of iron. Egg yolks are rich in vitamins A, B₁, B₂, and P. The protein in eggs contains a variety of amino acids, making it easily absorbed by the human body, and its nutritional value is close to 100%.

(VI) Dairy Products Dairy products include human milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, mare's milk, and their products. Dairy products have extremely high nutritional value, containing abundant protein, fat, vitamin C, carotene, and minerals such as iron. The amino acids in the protein of dairy products... The utilization rate is also extremely high. For example, although human milk contains less protein, its nutritional value is much higher than that of cow's milk, almost reaching 100%.

(VII) Beans and Dried Fruits: Beans mainly include soybeans, green beans, red beans, mung beans, broad beans, peas, lentils, and their products. In addition to being extremely rich in protein, fat, B vitamins, and minerals, beans also have a higher amino acid content than grains, and is similar to eggs and milk.

Dried fruits mainly include peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, lotus seeds, and their products. These foods are extremely rich in fat and protein, and are the main raw material for vegetable oils.

(VIII) Vegetables and Fruits: Vegetables are one of the main sources of nutrients needed by people, with leafy green vegetables being a typical example. Vegetables are not only a major source of B vitamins and minerals needed by the body, but also a major source of water and dietary fiber, making them an essential food for the human body.

Fruits come in a wide variety, and they not only contain abundant vitamins and... Watermelon contains minerals, as well as a significant amount of alkaline minerals and pectin. These substances can make human skin smooth and delicate, making some fruits excellent beauty products. Watermelon, known as the "Queen of Summer Fruits," is not only rich in protein, vitamin C, glucose, amino acids, carotene, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, but also has extremely high medicinal value. The rind, seeds, roots, and leaves can all be used medicinally. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to the green rind of the watermelon as "watermelon green coat," which is used to treat symptoms such as summer heat and thirst. After eating watermelon, peel off the red flesh and rub the skin with the remaining green pulp. After 10-15 minutes, wash it off with clean water. Continued use throughout the watermelon season can make the skin smooth, delicate, and elastic.