Nutrition

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OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRITION WITH THE INITIATIVES THAT MCS OFFERS YOU

Optimize Your Nutrition is part of the Steps to Wellness initiative. This offers you:

Healthy cooking courses guided by a chef and nutritionist
Virtual educational activities provided by nutritionists to give you tips and recommendations that will ease your food selection at the supermarket
And much more! Sign up for more information.

Food Groups

Do you know how food provides us with energy, nutrients and experiences that support our health and wellness?

Each food has certain characteristics and functions that promote nutritional balance. We recognize that, among the great variety of foods, it can be complex to know which ones we should choose and in what quantities we should consume them.

For this reason, we share with you a guide on food groups and recommendations from experts that will help you choose when it comes to selecting foods in your grocery

Cereals and starches	Fruits	Vegetables	Dairy	Proteins
Bread Rice Root vegetables Cookies Sweets Pasta Corn Grains Legumes Among others	Papaya Pineapple Orange Mango Acerola Grapefruit Banana Strawberries Grapes Among others	Peppers Onions Greens Mushrooms Asparagus Broccoli Cauliflower Tomatoes Cucumbers Among others	Milk Yogurt Cheese Soy beverages fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A	Meat Poultry Fish Seafood Eggs Grains Legumes Seeds Nuts
RECOMMENDATIONS
Opt for whole grain or whole grain cereals most of the time	Consider fresh fruits as well as frozen, canned, and dried fruits Select frozen, canned, and dried fruits in their own juice or with no added sugar Consume juices in moderation and opt for 100% juice if possible Aim to consume at least 2 servings per day	Consider both fresh and frozen, canned, and dried vegetables Select frozen, canned, and dried vegetables that are low in sodium or have no added salt Aim to consume 2 ½ servings per day	Select low-fat or fatfree options Choose yogurt with probiotics Prefer low-fat and low-salt cheeses, if possible, such as mozzarella, ricotta, and Swiss	Opt for lean meats without their skin and prepare them baked, steamed, grilled, or panfried Include fish at least once a week Consider animal protein substitutes such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds

Cereals and starches	Recommendations
Bread Rice Root vegetables Cookies Sweets Pasta Corn Grains Legumes Among others	Opt for whole grain or whole grain cereals most of the time
Fruits	Recommendations
Papaya Pineapple Orange Mango Acerola Grapefruit Banana Strawberries Grapes Among others	Consider fresh fruits as well as frozen, canned, and dried fruits Select frozen, canned, and dried fruits in their own juice or with no added sugar Consume juices in moderation and opt for 100% juice if possible Aim to consume at least 2 servings per day
Vegetables	Recommendations
Peppers Onions Greens Mushrooms Asparagus Broccoli Cauliflower Tomatoes Cucumbers Among others	Consider both fresh and frozen, canned, and dried vegetables Select frozen, canned, and dried vegetables that are low in sodium or have no added salt Aim to consume 2 ½ servings per day
Dairy	Recommendations
Milk Yogurt Cheese Soy beverages fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A	Select low-fat or fatfree options Choose yogurt with probiotics Prefer low-fat and low-salt cheeses, if possible, such as mozzarella, ricotta, and Swiss
Proteins	Recommendations
Meat Poultry Fish Seafood Eggs Grains Legumes Seeds Nuts	Opt for lean meats without their skin and prepare them baked, steamed, grilled, or panfried Include fish at least once a week Consider animal protein substitutes such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds

Tips for
your eating pattern

Practice balance, variety, moderation, and flexibility

Balance: Combine the food groups on your plate to optimize the digestion and absorption process and provide your body with adequate amounts of the nutrients it needs.

Variety: Consume una variedad de alimentos dentro de cada grupo. Así evitas la monotonía y le provees al cuerpo todos los nutrientes que necesita. Entre más colores tiene tu plato más variedad de nutrientes.

Moderation: Avoid extremes when eating and selecting foods. Think about the totality of your eating pattern, not just the portions of a particular meal.

Flexibility: Perfection is not the goal. You don't need to have the perfect plate and snack every time you eat. You have the flexibility to adjust your selections so that the totality of what you eat brings balance, variety, moderation, and enjoyment to your life.

Don't skip meals or go more than 2-6 hours of the day without eating.
Aim to include 3-5 food groups per meal.
Use the plate method as a guide

Click here to see: My Plate
Don't forget to hydrate throughout the day.
Experiment with herbs and spices
- Onion, pepper, cilantro, coriander, basil, rosemary, onion, bell pepper, garlic.
- To be less dependent on condiments (seasoning cubes, marinade, salt).
Take your time and practice being present and mindful during your meals. Avoid being distracted by another task while you eat.
Respect the signals of hunger and satiety that your body sends you.
Find tools to manage your emotions without resorting to food.
Enjoy nourishing and caring for your body.
Share family meals as often as possible.
Consult with a licensed dietitian-nutritionist and get answers to your questions.

Documents

Abundance Calendar

The Nutrition Label

The nutrition label is found on most packaged foods and provides you with the facts about the food to make an informed choice when making your purchase.
The nutrition label allows you to:

Know the content of fat, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber and cholesterol, among others.
Know which foods are good sources of dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and iron.
Buy similar foods to make your selection.
Choose foods that are appropriate for your condition.

Know the sections contained in a Nutrition Facts label.

Serving size and servings per package

It tells you how much constitutes a serving and the number of servings in the package. It uses words such as: one cup, 5 cookies, or the entire package. All the information about nutrients on the label corresponds to the indicated serving size. That is, if you consume twice the serving size, you are consuming twice the ingredients.

Calories per serving

Indicates how many calories (energy) are in one serving.

Nutrients

This is one of the most important areas of information, as it includes data about the amount of each nutrient in the food.
Nutrients to limit: saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium
Nutrients to consume more of: fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium and other minerals.

Percent daily value

It helps to evaluate the product more quickly. If a food says that it has 5% of a specific nutrient, it means that it has a low content of this nutrient. If it has a percentage between 5% and 20%, the food is a moderate source of this nutrient. When a nutrient has a percentage greater than or equal to 20%, the food is a high source of that nutrient.

List of ingredients

Labels also provide information on the ingredients of the product. These are also listed in the order of the amount they contain.

It is advisable to keep informed about the selection of foods we consume on a daily basis. Over time, our body will thank us for it.

Food labeling and its meaning
Fat free: less than 0.5 g of fat per serving. Low in fat: 3 g of fat or less per serving. Lean: less than 10 g of fat, 4 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per serving. Light/Lite: 1/3 of the fat of the original version. Cholesterol free: less than 10 g of fat, 4 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per serving. Low cholesterol: 20 mg or less of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving. Reduced or less cholesterol:25% less cholesterol and 2 g or less of saturated fat. Unsalted or sodium free: 5 mg or less of sodium per serving. Low salt or sodium: 140 mg or less per serving. Very low salt or sodium: 25 mg or less per serving. Unsalted: no salt added, but it is not necessarily low in sodium. Unsweetened, No sugar added: no sugar added, but it is not necessarily low in calories. High fiber: 5 g or more per serving. Good source of fiber: 2.5 g or more per serving. More or added fiber: 2.5 g per serving.

Food labeling and its meaning

Fat free: less than 0.5 g of fat per serving.
Low in fat: 3 g of fat or less per serving.
Lean: less than 10 g of fat, 4 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Light/Lite: 1/3 of the fat of the original version.
Cholesterol free: less than 10 g of fat, 4 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Low cholesterol: 20 mg or less of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
Reduced or less cholesterol:25% less cholesterol and 2 g or less of saturated fat.
Unsalted or sodium free: 5 mg or less of sodium per serving.
Low salt or sodium: 140 mg or less per serving.
Very low salt or sodium: 25 mg or less per serving.
Unsalted: no salt added, but it is not necessarily low in sodium.
Unsweetened, No sugar added: no sugar added, but it is not necessarily low in calories.
High fiber: 5 g or more per serving.
Good source of fiber: 2.5 g or more per serving.
More or added fiber: 2.5 g per serving.

Recommendations for managing sodium intake

An effective tool for managing sodium is to read labels when purchasing foods. For a food to be considered low sodium it must contain 140mg or less of sodium.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

When buying foods, select those that contain less than 200-300 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Use seasonings with herbs and spices: onion, bell pepper, garlic, rosemary, basil, cilantro and coriander, lemon, vinegar, among others.
Reduce the use of salt, seasoning, marinade, and seasoning cubes.
Allow your palate to adjust to the change. Perhaps at the beginning the food will taste different, but with time your palate will adapt.

For blood pressure management, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating pattern recommends increasing the intake of foods rich in the minerals potassium, phosphorus, and calcium in addition to reducing foods that are high in sodium. These minerals can be found in foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds.