Grain Free Dietary Fibre
A couple weeks ago in my son's grade nine "Healthy Living" class the students were asked to compare their diet to Canada Food Guide, which dictates how many servings of each of the four food groups a person should eat in order to be healthy.
The four food groups are: 1.grains, 2. veggies and fruit, 3.meat and alternatives, 4. dairy and alternatives. My son has been on a Paleo diet for two years, so he is grain free and the only dairy he eats is butter. He also has IBD and his symptoms improved greatly by following a low FODMAPs diet.
So when he came home that day he explained that he got a zero in the grain section and scored low on the diary and that when he told the teacher he doesn't eat those things she gave him an assignment - to improve his fibre intake.
His homework was to document how much fibre he ate for about 10 days. The goal he was given was to eat 19 grams per day, but he didn't change the way he ate, nor did we change what we had available. (The other kids had to keep food logs as well, but most of them had to increase their fruit and veggie servings.)
So he diligently keep a food log, which you can see below. I was NOT concerned about how much fibre we eat, as I am yet to be convinced humans even need fibre.
But....we were pleased to have proof for those who are concerned that, without effort or intention, he gets more than enough fibre (an average of about 22/day).
Wonder what his teacher will think?
Wonder what his teacher will think?
Note: I realize there are different types of dietary fibre and that he eats too much packaged food and gets lots of fibre from coconut and maybe should eat more veggies (oops one day he had non paleo legumes), no biggie, we are doing the best that we can and this is how he truly eats. My point is that you can eat grain free and get lots of fibre.
Here is some more info to check out:
Ditching Grains Without Ditching Fibre
The Paleo Diet and Fiber
Why Is Fiber Such A Menace To Your Health?
Also see the chapter on Fiber from the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
The Paleo Diet and Fiber
Why Is Fiber Such A Menace To Your Health?
Also see the chapter on Fiber from the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
March 20 | March 26 | |||
N'oatmeal | 8 | N'oatmeal and blueberries | 9 | |
coco larabar | 5 | kind bar | 3 | |
roast beef and potato | 5.5 | orange | 2.5 | |
2 eggs | 0 | 1.5 macaroon | 9 | |
protein salad w/scallops, sausages, | 5 | meatloaf w/ almond flour | 1 | |
carrots, almonds, EVO dressing) | 2 gf brownies | 4 | ||
Total | 24 | Thai chicken soup | 0 | |
Total | 28.5 | |||
March 21 | ||||
N'oatmeal and blueberries | 9 | March 27 | ||
coconut macaroon | 11 | bacon and 2 eggs | 0 | |
larabars, strawberries, carrots, kind bar | 9 | 2 gf brownies | 4 | |
pancakes (coconut and almond) | 10 | pb choc larabar | 4 | |
1/2 orange | 1 | macaroon | 6 | |
smothie (ban/straw/coconut/yoke) | 1 | plantain chips 1 | 1 | |
Total | 41 | steak strips | 0 | |
strawberries | 2 | |||
March 22 | 1 and 1/2 cp broccoli | 6 | ||
1/2 cp blueberries | 2.5 | mini potatoes | 3 | |
bacon and eggs | 0 | Total | 26 | |
pb larabar | 3 | |||
carrots | 2.5 | March 28 | ||
tuna | 0 | bacon and 2 eggs | 0 | |
salad (lettuce, carrots) | 2 | smoothie | 3 | |
pork burger | 0 | 2 gf brownies | 4 | |
bana cocoa pudding | 4 | larabar | 3 | |
goats milk | 0 | macaroon | 6 | |
Total | 14 | pork burger | 0 | |
strawberries | 2 | |||
March 23 | salad | 3 | ||
N'oatmeal and blueberries | 9 | goats milk | 0 | |
broccoli/butter/parm/bacon bits) | 4 | Total | 21 | |
lettuce | 2 | |||
carrots | 3 | March 29 | ||
kale chips | 1.5 | bacon, ham and 2 eggs | 0 | |
hard parmesean | 0 | potatoes | 4 | |
sausage | 0 | lettuce, carrots, ground turkey | 2 | |
2.5 macaroons | 7.5 | spinach | 1 | |
goat milk | 0 | kidney beans | 6 | |
Total | 27 | gf cake | 5 | |
Total | 18 | |||
March 24 | ||||
2 macaroons | 6 | March 30 | ||
bacon and 2 eggs | 0 | sausage and 2 eggs | 0 | |
sweet pot | 3 | kind bar | 3 | |
cauliflower | 2 | larabar | 4 | |
salad (lettuce carrots evo) | 1.5 | goats milk | 0 | |
meatloaf w/ almond flour | 1 | steak | 0 | |
Total | 14 | salad | 3 | |
macaroon | 6 | |||
March 25 | Total | 16 | ||
eggs and sausages | 0 | |||
macaroon | 6 | |||
cashew larabar | 3 | |||
orange | 2.5 | |||
kind bar | 3 | |||
meatloaf w/ almond flour | 1 | |||
2 cups goat milk | 0 | |||
Total | 16 |
If you cut out the grains, you don't need the fiber in the first place, and in fact, the fiber has been shown to *increase* the chance of colon cancer. Silly federal guidelines.
ReplyDeleteSilly is right. And... on the way home today my son told me that during the week of his experiment he had bowl problems (I am the last to know) and that he couldn't say for sure that he didn't try to up his fibre a bit, but after wards he returned to feeling fine.
DeleteYeah, my 2nd grader's been coming home with papers about some dietary education program they've been participating in. We just roll our eyes, continue eating what we know is good food, and go about our day. Our son knows full well what our feelings are, and is more a cynic about the party line than even we are… Raising him well!
ReplyDeleteThat said, it is truly sad the standards being pushed!
I hear you, my daughter is very outspoken and wants to have "debates" at school, she knows a lot about food so when she is being told to do stuff like eat a lot of pasta (by her coach) it is hard for her not to keep her opinions to herself. :)
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