Reducing Food Waste in Foodservice
October 16, 2018 by Doreen Garelick, Dietetic Intern
Our intern Doreen attended a food waste summit for restaurants and compiled these tips to help food service operators redirect…
House-made ricotta gnudi served in a parmesan and white asparagus broth topped with morel mushrooms, spring onions and green asparagus, finished with lemon oil and fresh Miner's lettuce.
Notes:
All dishes are comprised of three macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein and fat. These macronutrients are the main sources of energy in our diet and all are necessary for overall health.
Saturated | 3.5g |
Unsaturated | 6.5g |
The USDA recommends 20-35% of calories come from fat; however, there are good fats and bad fats. Unsaturated fats are considered good fats and are found in nuts, seeds, most vegetable oils, poultry, and fish. Olive oil is largely monounsaturated and a key component to the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats and found in soy, walnuts, flax and chia seeds, fish and shellfish. Saturated fats are not as good for us and therefore should not represent more than 10% of total calories in our diet. Sources of saturated fats include red meat, high-fat dairy (butter, cream, cheese, etc.), palm and coconut oil.
SPE promotes the use of ingredients with higher amounts of unsaturated fat than saturated fat. While 23% of total calories come from saturated fat, the majority of fat in this dish is unsaturated.
Total | 6g |
The USDA recommends 10-35% of calories come from protein; however, some protein sources are better for you than others. Proteins from lean meats, poultry, seafood and low-fat dairy provide the essential amino acids your body needs without too much additional saturated fat. Plant-based protein sources such as legumes, nuts and soy are also good choices with higher quality fats.
The protein comes from the dairy in the dish.
Added Sugar | 0g |
Natural Sugar | 1g |
Fiber | 1g |
Other | 5g |
Carbohydrates are called many things: starch, sugar and fiber, complex and simple. They mainly come from grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, dairy and sweeteners. The USDA recommends 45-65% of calories come from carbohydrates. In SPE, we target sources of carbohydrates that offer more than just quickly-absorbed calories such as intact or unrefined grains, legumes and whole fruits and vegetables.
Sugars are naturally occurring in grains, fruits and dairy and added sugars come from sweeteners such as corn syrup, cane and beet sugar, honey, agave, maple syrup and molasses, among others.
There is no added sugar in this dish.
Below are descriptions of a handful of vitamins and/or minerals found in this dish. The percent of the daily value recommended by the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for most adults is shown for each vitamin or mineral listed.
The calcium in this dish comes from the ricotta cheese. Calcium is the structural component of bones and teeth and is involved in muscle contraction and blood clotting.
The selenium in this dish comes from the ricotta. Selenium is a mineral that protects cells by neutralizing free radicals
The folate in this dish comes from the asparagus. Folate is needed for DNA synthesis and cell division and also may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with brain or spinal cord defects.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend eating a variety of vegetables and fruits daily and replacing refined grains with whole grains. The recommended number of servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains vary based on your specific needs and can be found at the USDA’s MyPlate Daily Food Plan website. The chart below shows the numbers of servings of each food in this dish, with each icon representing a serving.
= 1 serving of fruit (1/2 cup).
= 1 serving of vegetables (1/2 cup).
= 1 serving of whole grains (1 oz.).
We strive to provide accurate nutrition information, however variations in nutritional content of a dish may occur due to the made-to-order nature of restaurant dishes.