Notes

2.1 How to Create a balanced meal
a. "A meal is so much more than the sum of its nutrients."
b. "Studies show that larger dishes can influence how much people eat." Use smaller size bowl, dishes and cups for children.
c. When plan a meal, think about vegetable first, then portein and then strach. "A great meal will have lots of vegetables, a small portion of protein and a source of complex carbohydrates."
d. Even one parent sit will children to have meal, it is much better than let children eat alone.

2.2 Focus Point: Carohydrateds
a. Starchy foods (complex carbohydrate, or Polysaccharide (多糖)）
b. Simply carbohydrate (glucose, fructose, galactos -> monosaccharides(单糖))
glucose + fructose = sucrose (regular table sugar) most of excess
sugar come from processed food. If we don't drink those cola soda, it is OK for health people to have a small amount of sugar in our diets. Moderation is the key.
glucose + galactose = lactose (乳糖) （sugar found in milk）
c. disaccharides(二糖) (sucrose and lactose)
Notes: a.b.c contains 4 cal/gram, contains energy
d. dietary fiber: (no engery)
* soluble fiber: dissolved in water, help gut health and cholestrol regulation)
* insoluble fiber: don't dissolve in water, prevents constipation(便秘), accelerates food transit.

2.3 Focus Point: Fats (dietary fats)
a. saturated fat (饱和脂肪直链) - solid fat (butter, read meat), (increase bad cholesterol, but don't reduce good cholesterol)
b. unsaturated fat(不饱和脂肪)
1. natural unsaturated fat: found vegetable oil, avocados, nuts; liquid
2. man-made unsaturated fat: found margarine, reused oil; trans fats (increase bad cholesterol, reduce good cholesterol)
Advice: eat small amount of naturally occuring foods of all kinds with a focus on unsaturated, naturally occuring oils like those found in olive oil, avocados and nust, and small amounts of sturated fat in out diet are probably okay as well.

2.4 Focus Point: Proteins
a. amino acids (20 total, 9 are essential)
* meat: contains complete amino acids, which in sufficient amounts to support our children
* non-meat: (tofu, dairy, nuts and bean): incomplete amino acids, eat them alone may not in sufficient amounts to support growth. The trick: combine non-meat food with other foods to get a complete set of amino acids. So, increasing the variety of non-meat food is the key.

2.5 Basic Concept: Sugar - Too much of a good thing (sugar has a lot of names)
a. Plain water is by far the best way to quench their thirst and to keep them hydrated.

2.6 How to: Oatmeal
1 cup of oat, 2 cups water( or milk), a little cinnamony stick, heat by medium heat til it boils, turn down to low heat for 10 minutes, then you got your oatmeal. (Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain and this delays the return of hunger. ). Then add some milk, and then serve with maple syrup.

2.7 Focus Point: Hunger and the "Glycemic Index"
a. Choose foods with a low glycemic index whenever possible. (chicken, brown rice, whole grained bread with cheese.)
b. Combine your carbohydrates with a bit of fiber, protein, or healthy fats, it will slow down the release of sugar into your blood and prevent your from getting hugry too quickly.

2.8 How to: Homemade Pasta Sauce
a. Making pasta: Boil water, add salt (can be a lot), add olive oil (pasta won't stick together), add pasta (qunioa pasta has higher protein and gluten free), drain the pasta with hot water can remove some of starch,
b. Making sauce: half of onion (chopped), one garlic(chopped), tomato(chopped), heat the olive oil with medium heat, add onion and garlic into the pot (it is the base dish for any vegetable based dish. You can add mushroom, zucchinis,or any fresh vegetable. ), til the onion getting a glassy and translucent looking (do not burn it); add tomato and a little salt, sugar, spicy flavor (paprika); add a little bit corn starch to make sauce thicker; pound it (打成糊糊);
c. Ready to serve: put pasta in a big bowl, put mozzarella cheese(slide, about half ponds) on the top of pasta; pour the tomato sauce on the top of cheese (cheese will melt by hot sauce); add some grated cheese. Done.

2.9 How to: Almond Cake (quick cake)
Add a little butter in baking pan;
Add the rest of butter (total 0.5 cup) into a mixing bowl;
Add 3/4 cup of sugar; add vanilla essence;
Add four eggs; mix all together by electronical mixer;
Add 2.5 cups of almond flour;
Add 2 tsp baking powder;
Grease your pan;
Add the mixture into the pan;
Baking for 15 mins (Temperature?)

2.10 Basic Concept: How to eat in moderation
If we practice moderation, then no food is forbidden. It is how you eat most of the time that will help you protect your health and the health of your children.