How do foods commonly eaten by South Asian communities fit into the four food groups?
How do foods commonly eaten by South Asian communities fit into the four food groups of Canada’s Food Guide?
Vegetables & Fruit
Leafy vegetables
e.g. Mustard greens, Spinach
Fresh, frozen, cooked or canned
Large-sized
e.g. Banana, Potato, Pumpkin
Medium-sized
e.g. Apple, Carrot, Guava, Mango
Small-sized or cut-up
e.g. Berries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Citrus fruit, Coconut, Dates, Eggplant, Fresh fenugreek, Grapes, Green beans, Green peas, Karela (bitter melon), Melons, Okra, Pepper, Pineapple, Squash, Tomato, Turnip, Vegetable marrow, Zucchini
Roots
e.g. Dasheen (taro root), Garlic, Ginger, Onion
Grain Products
Breads
Bread (commercial, whole wheat)
Chapati
Naan
Paratha
Poori
Roti
Cereals
Breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat (often eaten by children)
Grains
e.g. Basmati rice, Corn, Dahlia (cracked wheat), Jowar (sorghum), Millet
Flours
Corn flour
Durum flour
Millet flour
Rice flour
Sooji (semolina)
Sevian (vermicelli noodles)
Dosas (lentil and rice crepe)
Idlis (made with steamed lentil and rice)
Milk & Alternatives
Milk
Skim, 1%, 2%, Whole (usually whole milk is consumed more by men and children than by women)
Chai (Indian tea often made with a lot of milk and sugar)
Buttermilk/ Lassi (yogurt drink)
Yogurt
Raita
Paneer (white cheese)
Kheer (milk-based pudding)
Phirni (rice custard)
Sour cream
Meat & Alternatives
Dried beans—cooked or ground
e.g. Besan/Gram flour (chickpea flour), Chitte chana (chickpeas), Mung beans (small green beans), Rajma (red beans)
Dried peas
e.g. Masoor (red split peas), Pea flour, Rongi (black-eyed peas), Yellow split peas
Lentils
e.g. Dal, Lentil flour, Sprouted lentils
Fish or seafood—fresh or dried
Tofu
Chicken
Meat
e.g. Beef, Goat, Lamb, Pork
Eggs
Nuts
e.g. Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Peanuts