Abstract
Changes in dietary behavior were studied in post-myocardial infarct patients who had participated in a health education program which taught the principles of the Prudent Diet. A nutritionist questioned 39 patients and their spouses about their former and present dietary habits. The patients made highly significant changes in their intake of 10 selected food items and 8 food preparations. They consumed significantly less eggs, whole milk, high-fat meat, and butter. Their intake of lean meat increased significantly but did not parallel their decreased intake of high-fat meat. These results suggest that post-infarct patients who participated in a nutrition education program and diet instruction ate less meat. Patients made highly significant changes in food preparation procedures. They ate less fried food after their infarct, trimmed fat from meat before and after preparation, removed skin from poultry, and ate fewer sauces, gravies, and casseroles made with restricted food items. More patients changed food preparation procedures after their infarct than changed their consumption of selected food items. These findings indicate that patients find it easier to modify their diet in the direction of the Prudent Diet by altering food preparation procedures rather than by restricting their intake of specific food items. Patients did not alter their modified food consumption patterns over time. Individuals who had followed the diet for seven months to more than two years adhered to it as well as persons who had followed the diet for six months or less.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 39-43 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of the American Dietetic Association |
Volume | 83 |
Issue number | 1 |
State | Published - 1983 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Food Science
- Nutrition and Dietetics