Topic 4 Shifting away from diets in meat or added refined sugars
Protein Flip
- This term was popularized by the Culinary Institute of America, and it is the practice of flipping the plate from meat-centric to plant-centric. Instead of meat making up the center of the plate with vegetables being the smaller portion or an afterthought, vegetables and other plants become the stars while meat portions get reduced to garnishes or sides.
- This is a great strategy for patients who are not willing to entirely give up meat but could benefit from reducing intake and/or substituting with plant sources of protein. In a typical meal, one might have eaten a large piece of chicken with a small side salad.
- In a Protein Flip, the portions are reversed. In a Protein Flip this meal may become a large salad with added whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds to make the salad more filling and increase the protein content while reducing the portion of chicken to 1-2 ounces sliced atop the salad as a garnish.
Dessert Flip
- The dessert flip is a method to re train the palette to appreciate the natural sweetness in healthier options instead of choosing sweets and desserts.
- For instance, in a typical dessert, one might have a large piece of a decadent sweet garnished with a bit of fruit—think strawberry cheesecake with a sliced strawberry on top. In a Dessert Flip, the portions are reversed. The size of the dessert is reduced to just a bite or two and accompanied by a larger arrangement of fresh fruit. This is generally just as satisfying as the original while increasing the nutrient density and decreasing the calorie density.
- This is because the most enjoyable bites of any dessert are the first and having a couple bites is generally enough to quench a sweet craving at the end of a meal.
- The Dessert Flip is not the same as a healthy dessert, which is one that is nutritious in its own right
