Combining Nutrients - Creating Meals

Now that you know all there is to know about individual nutrients, we can move onto putting them all together.

Energy-providing nutrients are rarely consumed singularly.  Often they are found in combinations in nature.  The meals we prepare are usually combinations of all three.  Protein and fat are commonly found together, like in meat.  Carbohydrates are usually a component in all meals.  The specific combination of foods in a meal changes the body’s reaction to them.  While a piece of white bread alone may elicit a high insulin response (white bread has a glycemic index of around 70) the addition of peanut butter to the piece of bread (peanut butter is mainly fat and protein) lowers the insulin response considerably.  Knowing what foods to combine and how these foods complement each other is essential for weight control and meeting your body’s basic needs.

The Basics: 

Carbs are readily used as energy in the body, and are preferentially used first, thus sparing other nutrients, like protein, for higher maintenance functions.  Simple carbs (high G.I.) are quickly absorbed, leading to a quick rise in available energy, but will be stored if they are not used.  Complex carbs (low to moderate G.I.) are more slowly converted to sugar and absorbed, leading to a sustained release of energy, but are still stored when not used.  Low blood sugar levels cause a sense of hunger, which is quite often why people crave carbs when feeling hungry.  Unfortunately, eating simple carbs may not lead to a feeling of fullness and often leads to overeating due to the lack of this sensation.  Optimal choices in carbohydrate selection will have to be made in order to avoid weight gain.

Fat is an important component of a meal: a meal with some fat will digest slowly, have a lower glycemic index, and give the person a stronger feeling of fullness.  The longer a meal takes to digest the more the body will be able to absorb from that meal.  The lasting feeling of fullness is also very important.  This will prevent the irritating hunger that sometimes follows only a short time after a meal and even more importantly, helps prevent overeating.  There should be a fat component to all meals, and care taken to make sure that most of the fat consumed is a “good” fat.

Protein should be made a part of every meal to lower the glycemic index of a meal and give the body the important amino acids it needs.  Remember, a meal containing protein will require a larger amount of energy to digest than a meal of mostly carbs.  Proteins are not readily available as energy in the body and must undergo a lengthy process in the body to be used for this purpose.  A constant intake of small amounts of protein will keep the metabolism at a higher level as well as keep the body in positive nitrogen balance, leading to muscle and vital protein synthesis.

Take Home Message:  Your meals should be combinations of nutrients.  This will ensure several things:  1) variety to prevent boredom which will allow you to maintain habits longer, 2) adequate intake of all nutrients, especially protein and fiber to keep metabolism high and meals satisfying, and 3) good control of insulin to ensure efficient nutrient use.