Guide to Healthy Eating

Guide to Healthy Eating For Campus Meetings and Events Users: Planners and CaterersPrepared by the Faculty of Food and Agriculture

2IntroductionThis healthy eating guide for campus meetings and events isdesigned to assist faculties/departments improve the food qualityand nutritive value of meals and snacks served at meetings andevents. In response to the prevalence of lifestyle induced diseasessuch as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and theircomorbidities in Trinidad and Tobago. Improving the consumption ofhealthy foods by staff should be high on the agenda of The Universityof the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Currently, most foodsserved at events are usually high in refined carbohydrates, unhealthyfats, added sugar and sodium. Little emphasis is currently placedon serving whole grains, unsweetened beverages, vegetablesand fresh fruits. This guide serves to assist in making better mealchoices.Several Nutritional GuidelinesWhen organizing campus meetings and events, please advisecaterers to include food and beverages that meet the followingnutritional guidelines:• Choose foods that have been prepared using cooking methods that require small amounts of fats and oils e.g. baking, broiling, steaming, grilling and simmering.• When oils must be used, choose oils that contain healthy fats e.g. olive, corn, coconut and canola.• Limit the intake of foods high in trans-fat and saturated fat e.g. pastries, processed meats.

3• Select foods that are low in sodium and added sugar. Use fresh herbs and spices to add flavour to foods.• Try to ensure that a portion of vegetables is served with meals. These can be cooked or served raw.• Include a vegetarian option at all meals e.g. peas, beans, legumes, soya chunks, tofu.• Water should always be available.• Serve small appropriate portions of food; to avoid wastage and over-consumption.Meals served at campus meetings and events should include onecarbohydrate, a serving of vegetables and a protein rich item.Healthy Meal Suggestions BreakfastChoose More Choose LessWhole grain - bread, bake and White flour - bread, bake andsada roti sada rotiSteamed or blanched Vegetables cooked in largevegetables quantity of oilEggs-hardboiled or scrambled Processed meats eg sausage, bacon, salamiUnsweetened high fibre Sweetened cerealscereal or oatmeal Lunch and DinnerChoose More Choose LessBaked or grilled chicken and Fried chicken and fried fishfishFresh vegetable salads with Salads with high fat dressinglow fat dressing

4 Snacks Choose More Choose LessFresh fruit or fruit salad Pastries, cakes and other baked goodsLow fat yoghurt topped with Ice cream and high fat milkfresh fruit drinksBaked chips, air popped Fried chips, microwavepopcorn popcornHigh fibre granola bars High calorie energy bars Beverages Choose More Choose LessWater Soda and sweetened beveragesDecaf coffee and tea or herbal Sports and energy drinks withtea high caloric and/or caffeine contentLow fat or skim milk or non Whole milk and sweetened milkdairy alternatives drinks100% fruit or vegetable juice Juice drinks or fruit flavoured drinks

5Special Dietary RequirementsMembers of staff and visitors may have food allergies, includingallergies to monosodium glutamate (MSG), that need to be cateredfor. The caterer should be advised of personnel with food allergies. The following is a list of foods that account for the majorityof food allergies or intolerances, with recommended substitutions. Food Main foods to SuggestedGluten intolerance avoid substitutionsMilk and milk Bread, roti, pasta Bread, roti andproducts and cake made pasta made with with wheat, rye, a gluten free flourEggs and egg barley flour, cereals e.g. cassava, sweetproducts containing gluten potato, plantain, breadfruitFish and shellfish Dairy products-milk, Calcium fortifiedSoy and soyproducts cheese, ice-cream, almond, oat and soy yoghurt milk, tofu, soy yoghurt, soy cheese, tofu, lactose free milk Baked goods, Use egg substitutes mayonnaise, (e.g. ground flax- commercial salad seed, chia seeds, dressing silken tofu, corn- starch). Yoghurt can be used to replace salad dressing All fish, crustaceans Use lean meat, peas (e.g. shrimp, crab, and beans, tofu or lobster), mollusks flaxseed oil (eg. oysters and clams), fish oil Soya chunks, Peas, beans, tofu, soy sauce, processed soy-free processed foods foods containing soy

6Tips for Healthier Eating• Use smaller plates and glasses to help participants consume less.• Fill half your plate with vegetables.• Use plain yoghurt instead of creamy salad dressing when serving salads.• Use mini versions of cupcakes, cookies and muffins.• Use local produce to make healthier versions of desserts e.g. pumpkin cupcake, plantain cookies, cassava muffin, banana bread and breadfruit fritters.• Consider offering an oatmeal bar, complete with raisins, nuts and brown sugar for a healthy snack.• Limit meat servings to a 3-ounce portion. Choose healthy meat options: fresh seafood, skinless poultry and lean beef.• Limit use of sweetened beverages.• Add a few slices of lemon, lime or oranges to flavour plain water.• Use low fat milk, soy milk or almond milk instead of artificial creamers.• Review the caterer’s menu and snack offerings prior to the meeting. Make necessary changes/suggestions if needed.Bananamuffinsmade with60% wheatflour and40% sweetpotato flour

7Food Safety Tips during the Preparation and Serviceof Meals• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based wipe or hand gel.• Sanitize all surfaces and utensils that will be in contact with food.• Ensure that a clean utensil is available for each food item served.• Food service staff should have short clean fingernails without polish. No jewelry (except a wedding band) should be worn.• Ensure that clean clothing, food grade gloves and hair nets are worn by food servers.• Persons who are ill should not handle food or utensils.• Keep hot foods at 1350F or above and cold food at 410C or below.• Perishable foods not kept hot or cold as described above should be discarded after holding for four hours or more at room temperature.• When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and or warming trays. Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often.• Make sure food is covered at all times with clean materials suitable to be in contact with food. Work with your Caterers for a Healthier Campus!

8Healthy Meeting Checklist Does the menu for your meeting include a variety of foods from the six Caribbean Food Groups (staple foods, legumes/nuts, dark green leafy, yellow and other non-starchy vegetables, fruits, foods from animals and fats)? Did you include both fruits and vegetables with each meal and snack? Are whole-grain bread, cereals, rice and pasta incorpo- rated into meals? Are there options for participants with special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, diabetics, lactose-intolerant, or gluten-free diets? Did you request low calorie and low or reduced fat items where possible? Did you request that mini versions of items like muf- fins, bagels, cookies and brownies be served or that the items be cut into smaller portion sizes? Will you provide water at breaks and meals? Will you offer a selection of low-calorie beverages, if serving drinks other than water?Source: Healthy Food Guidelines for Campus Meetings & Events preparedby Dr. Isabella Granderson, Department of Agricultural Economics andExtension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI, St AugustineLayout and design: Ms. Sarojini Ragbir, Communications and PublicationsUnit, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University ofthe West Indies, St AugustineElectronic copies could be accessed on the Faculty’s website:https://sta.uwi.edu/ffa/ September 2018