THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLES FACILITATOR: MRS. FAY MALCOLM-HANSON GROUP: YEAR 2 DATE: 11 TH JUNE, 2013

THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE SIX FOOD GROUPS, IT IS TIME TO PUT THEM TO USE ON YOUR DAILY PLATE/PLATES BY USING THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE. THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE IS A FOOD COMBINING METHOD USED THROUGHOUT THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CARIBBEAN, INVOLVING THE COMBINING OF AT LEAST TWO COMPLEMENTARY FOOD GROUPS SO OPTIMAL NUTRITION IS ATTAINED AT EACH MEAL (BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER). FOOD GROUPS

MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE AS SUCH, HAVING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE SHOULD HELP ANYONE NEW TO MEAL AND MENU PLANNING OVERCOME CHALLENGES RELATING TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS, THERAPEUTIC NEEDS, WEANING, CHILDREN/PICKY EATERS AND THE EXCLUSION OF WHOLE FOOD GROUPS–FOOD ALLERGIES AND VEGETARIANISM. BEFORE WE START PLEASE NOTE, THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE REVOLVES AROUND ONLY FOUR OF THE SIX FOOD GROUPS-STAPLES, LEGUMES, FOODS FROM ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES (DARK GREEN, LEAFY AND OTHER VEGETABLES) AND COVERS THE THREE ASPECTS INTEGRAL TO NUTRITIOUS MEAL PLANNING- PRACTICAL, BALANCED AND VARIED (DISPLAYS VARIETY).

THE MULTI-MIX (CONT’D) THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES; EACH CATEGORY IS CALLED A MIX SINCE IT CONTAINS A MIXTURE OF TWO OR MORE FOOD GROUPS. THE MIX CATEGORIES ARE TWO-MIX (THE SIMPLEST COMBINATION) THREE-MIX FOUR-MIX

MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE EACH MIX REPRESENTS A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED MEAL IN-WHICH CARBOHYDRATES AND PROTEINS ARE THE FEATURED NUTRIENTS. SOME MIXES PROVIDE A WIDER SELECTION OF MICRO- NUTRIENTS AND PHYTOCHEMICALS, PRIMARILY THE THREE-MIX AND FOUR-MIX SINCE THESE INCLUDE THE VEGETABLE GROUP. AS A RESULT IT IS BEST BUT NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY TO INCLUDE ALL THREE CATEGORIES IN THE DAILY DIET E.G. TWO-MIX OR FOUR-MIX MEAL AT BREAKFAST, THREE-MIX MEAL AT LUNCH AND DINNER AND MAYBE TWO-MIX MEALS AT SNACK TIMES.

THE RULES GUIDING THE PRINCIPLE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) STAPLES ARE FUNDAMENTAL AND MUST BE INCLUDED IN ALL MIXES. 2) AT LEAST ONE PROTEIN SOURCE MUST ALSO BE INCLUDED IN ALL MIXES. PROTEIN SOURCES COULD ORIGINATE FROM A PLANT (LEGUMES GROUP) AND OR, ANIMAL (FOODS FROM ANIMALS GROUP). 3) VEGETABLES ARE ADDED TO THE MIX ONLY WHEN STAPLES AND A PROTEIN SOURCE ARE PAIRED. 4) FATS AND OILS ARE NOT FEATURED IN THE MIX BECAUSE IT IS ASSUMED THEY WERE ADDED DURING THE MEAL PREPARATION, SPARINGLY.

PLANNING A MEAL TAKES SOME THOUGHT, DEPENDING HOW COMPLEX OR SIMPLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO BE. HERE IS HOW TO PLAN MEALS USING THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE ① FIRST SELECT AT LEAST ONE STAPLE BUT NO MORE THAN TWO PER MEAL. A STAPLE COULD BE A GRAIN, STARCHY FRUIT OR ROOT CROP. SELECTING A STAPLE THAT IS MINIMALLY PROCESSED IS THE MOST NUTRITIOUS OPTION. RECOMMENDED DAILY SERVINGS: 6 TO 11STAPLE ② ADD AT LEAST ONE PROTEIN SOURCE THAT WOULD GO WELL WITH THE CHOSEN STAPLE OR STAPLES. WHEN SELECTING A PROTEIN SOURCE FOR DAILY CONSUMPTION, SELECT ONE THAT IT IS LOW IN TOTAL FAT, SATURATED FAT, CHOLESTEROL AND SODIUM. PROTEIN SOURCES THAT HAVE A HIGHER FAT CONTENT SHOULD BE CONSUMED ON AN INFREQUENT BASIS - ONCE A WEEK OR BI-MONTHLY. TIP: IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE PARTS OF THE ANIMAL -CHICKEN, DUCK, TURKEY THAT CONTAINS MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF PROTEIN SUCH AS THE NECK, FOOT, TAIL ETC. THEN BE SURE TO INCLUDE A SERVING OF LEGUMES IN THE MEAL. RECOMMENDED DAILY SERVINGS: 2 TO 3 ③ NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF YOUR MEAL COVERED, ADD A PORTION OF COOKED OR UNCOOKED VEGETABLES. VEGETABLES ARE NATURALLY LOW IN CALORIES AND RICH IN MICRO-NUTRIENTS WHICH MAKE THEM A GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR PLATE. IDEALLY, VEGETABLES SHOULD BE EATEN DAILY, HOWEVER, IN CASES WHEN THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL, CONSUMING THEM AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK IS ADVISED. RECOMMENDED DAILY SERVINGS: 3 TO 5 ④ AT THIS POINT YOUR MEAL SHOULD HAVE 1 PORTION OF STAPLES AND 1 OR 2 PORTIONS OF A PROTEIN SOURCE ALONG WITH A PORTION OF VEGETABLES. THEREFORE, YOUR MAIN MEALS FOR ONE DAY COULD LOOK LIKE THE TABLE BELOW. IF IT DOES, THEN YOU ARE NUTRITIONALLY SAFE FOR THAT DAY.

HERE IS HOW TO PLAN MEALS USING THE MULTI- MIX PRINCIPLE: Day 1 Main Meals Breakfast LunchDinner Total servingsGoal servings S Raisin Bran Bread Rice Cassava & Green Fig = 56 L Hummus Red Beans = 22 FFAMilkChickenFish = 32 V Coleslaw = 13

PLAN MEALS USING THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE THE TOTAL SERVINGS INCLUDES ONLY THE MAIN MEALS CONSUMED, EXCLUDES SNACK MEALS. THE GOAL SERVINGS REFER TO THE MINIMUM NUMBER SERVINGS NEEDED DAILY BY AN ADULT. S- STAPLES L- LEGUMES FFA- FOOD FROM ANIMAL V- VEGETABLES STICKING WITH THE TABLE ABOVE THE BREAKDOWN FOR DAY 1 MEALS ARE AS FOLLOWS: BREAKFAST= BREAD AND HUMMUS SANDWICH PLUS RAISIN BRAN CEREAL WITH MILK. LUNCH = RICE, STEWED RED BEANS, STEWED CHICKEN AND COLESLAW. DINNER= BOILED PROVISION (CASSAVA & GREEN FIG) WITH BULJOL. IN THEORY, AT THE END OF DAY 1: 5 SERVINGS OF STAPLES, 2 SERVINGS OF LEGUMES, 3 SERVINGS OF FOODS FROM ANIMALS AND 1 SERVING OF VEGETABLES WERE CONSUMED. THIS MEANS THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED DAILY SERVINGS FOR EACH GROUP CAN BE MET WITH ADEQUATE MEAL PLANNING.ALL THIS IN ESSENCE FORMS THE BASIS OF MEAL PLANNING THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CARIBBEAN WAY. INCORPORATING THE MULTI-MIX PRINCIPLE IN DAILY MEALS ENSURES YOU GET THE MOST OUT YOUR DAILY MEALS, REGARDLESS THE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS, LIFESTYLE CHOICES, DIETARY RESTRICTIONS AMONGST OTHERS. BULJOL

♣♣ ADDITIONAL NOTES ♣♣ A PORTION CAN INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE SERVING FOR THE STATED FOOD ITEM. ◢ BY NATURE, CARIBBEAN (ENGLISH-SPEAKING) CUISINE IS RICH IN CARBOHYDRATES HENCE THE REASON STAPLES ARE INTEGRAL TO EACH MIX. ◢ UNLESS YOU ARE AN ATHLETE, OR PLACED ON A HIGH CALORIE DIET PLEASE DO NOT ADD MORE THAN TWO STAPLES PER MEAL. E.G. A RICE, BAKED CHICKEN, MACARONI PIE, POTATO SALAD AND PLANTAIN LUNCH MEAL, CONTAINS 4 STAPLES MAKING IT CARBOHYDRATE RICH. UNLESS YOU PLAN TO BURN OFF THOSE EXCESS CALORIES, I WOULD RECOMMEND A MORE NUTRITIOUS ALTERNATIVE SUCH AS RICE, BAKED CHICKEN, MACARONI PIE AND GREEN SALAD. ◢ FRUITS ARE CONSUMED AS SNACK MEALS BUT CAN BE USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH VEGETABLES DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE MEAL. MEAL OPTION 1: EGG SANDWICH WITH FRUIT ON THE SIDE (TOASTED BREAD, SCRAMBLED EGG AND FRESH MANGO SLICES)

MEAL OPTION 2: EGG SANDWICH (TOASTED BREAD, SCRAMBLED EGG AND LETTUCE LEAVES)

FOOTNOTE REGARDLESS, BOTH MEAL OPTIONS (1 & 2) ARE THREE-MIX MEALS, AS THEY CONTAIN COMPLEMENTARY FOODS ITEMS FROM THREE FOOD GROUPS, IN RELATIVE PORTIONS.

THE END