Meal Plans for my family

Alright, I'm the home's bossy and naggy big Sister when it comes to food! Since my teenage years, I'm very strict in my diet and knows what's exactly healthy and what and how much to eat for each meal. Much to my parents' displeasure, I often rejected food from them, always claiming that they are too filling (Mum's breakfast), heaty (Mum's although delicious but fried stuff) or unhealthy (Dad's supper)! Of course, it all gave way after I met DC and he introduced me chocolates, cheesecakes and other sinful stuffs.

Now, it came to a point that I know I must control DC, me and my parents from all the sinful indulgences for the good of ourselves. So, I came out with meal plans (or rather, rules) for each of us. :)

For Dad:
Reduce Salt, Caffeine, Alcohol (no more than 2 drinks per day)
More Folic Acid (Bread, Cereal, Flour), Potassium (40 mEq/day), Magnesium, Vitamin D
No internal organs, fried stuffs and red meats
Increase intake of fruits and vegetables
Minimize the consumption of fats and sodium (Eat more lean meats and less fast foods)
Stop smoking
Exercise

For Mum:
Cut back on carbohydrates
No chocolates, ice-cream, cakes and pastry.
Eat grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, and pearled barley and whole grains, high-fiber cereals, breads, and pastas
Nuts and seeds are fine
No red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs
Olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados, salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds
Eat small meals at regular times (Stop eating when 80% full)
Fill half of plate with non-starchy veggies (greens, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, turnips, etc.). Split the other half of plate into two equal parts, filling one with protein and the other with a starchy carbohydrate (rice, potatoes, pasta, whole-grain bread).
Eat brown rice instead of white rice, steel-cut oats instead of processed cereals or instant oatmeal, or whole-grain bread instead of white bread.
Drink water only
Eat sweet potatoes or winter squash instead of white potatoes.
Space out meals and snacks (at least 2 hours apart)
Exercise

For DC:
Avoid Beer, anchovies, organ meat (brains, kidney, liver, sweetbreads), game meats, gravies, yeast, meat extracts, sardines, herring, mackerel, scallops.
Eat in moderation: Fresh and saltwater fish, shellfish, eel, meat, poultry, meat soups and broth, asparagus , mushrooms, cauliflower, spinach, legumes, oatmeal, bran, wheat germ, whole-grain breads and cereals, eggs.
Eat more: Breads and cereals (low-fiber, white flour, or refined grain types), nuts, peanut butter. Vegetabless, soups – cream style or vegetable without meat extract, coffee, tea, fruit juices, soft drinks, gelatin, sugar, low fat cheeses.

For Preggie Me:
No coffee, tea, coke and alcohol
No raw meats as raw meat can infect with salmonella or toxoplasmosis. Foods to avoid include: sushi, rare meats.
No soft cheese because of the way these cheeses are made, they may contain harmful bacteria. Unpasteurized cheeses include: brie, feta, Camambert, bleu cheese, queso blanco, queso fresco etc.
No raw eggs as Salmonella is the risk from raw egg. Foods to avoid include: cake batter, raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, custards, mayo, egg nog or Hollandaise sauce.
No fish with high mercury: Mercury can be harmful to you baby because it can lead to brain damage. Foods to avoid: tilefish, king mackerel shark and sword fish
Fish with PCBss: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) is associated with memory difficulties and lower IQs. Fish included in the PCB warning include: bluefish, stripped bass, salmon, pike, trout, walleye.
Cut down on deli meats: Due to the risk of listeriosis, ensure that all deli meats are thoroughly reheated, this includes hot dogs. The internal temperature of the meat should be 165 degrees.
No Liver: Excessive amounts of vitamin A in non-beta-carotene form can cause birth defects. The food in this category is liver.
Raw Vegetables must be thoroughly washed before you eat them. They can be exposed to toxoplasmosis in the dirt and if not properly washed, you're also exposed. Take charge of washing them yourself to ensure a good, thorough washing.

For Me during confinement:
Drink only red dates drink. No water.
No washing of hair.
Low temperatures from an air-conditioner or fan must be avoided too.

Avoid these 'cold' foods.
Meats
• duck egg (slightly cold in nature);
• some shellfish including crabs, clams and oysters;
• snails (very cold in nature);
• cuttlefish and octopus.

Fruits
• persimmon, including dried persimmon;
• pomelo;
• bananas;
• mulberry;
• star fruit;
• fig;
• kiwi fruit;
• sugar cane (which, strictly speaking, is a type of grass);
• watermelon;
• musk melon (cantaloupe);
• waterchestnut.

Vegetables
• kangkung;
• some edible fungus;
• brasenia;
• nostoc (an edible algae);
• bitter gourd;
• bamboo shoot;
• snake melon;
• kelp, laver and seaweed;
• hypericum (St Johns wort);
• some mushrooms;
• bitter gourd.

Seasoning products such as soya sauce, noodle sauce and salt should not be taken (or at least, minimise your intake).

These prohibitions are said to help ensure that your body retain as much heat as possible. It is believed this will help you avoid health problems such as rheumatism, arthritis, headaches and body pains later in life.

Eat lots of ginger and only traditional tonic brewed with herbs. They are believed to promote better blood circulation and strengthen the joints. The Chinese also believe that fish soups can help boost low milk supply.

"Cooling" foods such as cold drinks, cucumber, cabbage and pineapple should be avoided. Also, "windy" foods such as onions and jackfruit are off limits as they are believed to cause colic in your baby.

Caffeine and Alcohol should be reduced

Avoid hot and spicy food

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