January 18, 2000

Food and Nutrition


Food and Nutrition

Russian cuisine is wonderful; of that there is no doubt. But, how healthy is a steady diet of it? Bread, soups, pickled fish and other daily mainstays of the Russian table can make for a hearty diet. To fully understand what we consider balanced nutrition, refer to the Food Guide Pyramid. Basically, this guide states that we should consume 6 - 11 servings of starch, 3 - 5 servings of vegetables, 2 - 4 servings of fruit, 2 - 3 servings of dairy, 2 - 3 servings of meat (protein) and a trace amount of fats and sugar per day.

Let's take a look at just one possible, basic Russian daily menu and see how it adds up:

Meal Menu Exchanges
Breakfast: black bread, eggs, cheese, sausage,
butter, tea
starch: 3
vegetable: 0
fruit: 0
protein: 2.3
dairy: 2
fat/sugar: 22

Child's Breakfast hot oatmeal (plain)
(high in Iron, B and A vitamins, etc.)
starch: 1.6
vegetable: 0
fruit: 0
protein: 0
dairy: 0
fat/sugar: .5

Dinner: pickled fish, vegetables, bread, soup, meat or fish, potato and dessert (stewed fruit) starch: 3
vegetable: 2
fruit: 1
protein: 4.3
dairy: 0
fat/sugar: 6

Supper: same as dinner, but without the soup or dessert starch: 3
vegetable: 1
fruit: 0
protein: 2
dairy: 0
fat/sugar: 1.5

Grand Totals:
Keep in mind these are rough estimates
starch: 9 (6-11 suggested)
vegetable: 3 (3-5 suggested)
fruit: 1 (2-4 suggested)
protein: 8.5 (2-3 suggested)
dairy: 2 (2-3 suggested)
fat/sugar: 34.5 (trace suggested)
 

At a glance, it would appear that the average Russian diet is not anymore unbalanced than that enjoyed by Americans. It needs more fruit, could do with more vegetable and would benefit from a reduced fat intake. Sound familiar?

Unlike Americans, the heaviest meals of the Russian day are breakfast and dinner. The evening meal, supper, is light. This is a much healthier habit than eating little, if any, breakfast and a large evening meal. Much of the fish and vegetables are pickled or marinated. Vinegar is very high in potassium and, also, contains calcium and iron.

Below are some common food items and their nutritional breakouts.

Black Bread - Nutrition Per Serving
(16 servings per loaf)
Total Calories: 155
% from fat: 14 % from carbs: 77 % from protien: 9
Total Fat: 2 grams; 4%
( percentages are of daily allowances based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet)
Saturated fat; 1 gr.; 6%
monounsaturated fat: 1 gr; 6%
polyunsaturated fat: trace; 1%
Cholesterol: 4 mg; 1% Potassium: 162mg; 5% Sodium: 151mg; 6%
Total Carbohydrates: 30 gr; 10%
Dietary Fiber: 2 gr; 7%
Protien: 4 gr; 7% Iron: 1 mg; 8% Calcium: 18 mg; 2%
Zinc: 1mg; 3% Vit. A: 57 IU; 1% Thiamin: .2 mg; 13%
Riboflavin: .1 mg; 7% Folacin: 39 mcg; 10% Niacin: 1 mg; 7%
Food Exchanges: 1.5 Starch; .5 Fat

Black Bread Recipe and Instructions

More . . .

Bliny - Nutrition Per Serving (roughly 20)
Total Calories: 174
% from fat: 15 % from carbs: 71 % from protien: 14
Total Fat: 3 grams; 4%
( percentages are of daily allowances based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet)
Saturated fat; 1 gr.; 7%
monounsaturated fat: 1 gr; 4%
polyunsaturated fat: trace; 1%
Cholesterol: 27 mg; 9% Potassium: 141mg; 4% Sodium: 143mg; 6%
Total Carbohydrates: 30 gr; 10%
Dietary Fiber: 1 gr; 4%
Protien: 6 gr; 12% Iron: 2 mg; 10% Calcium: 81 mg; 8%
Zinc: 1mg; 3% Vit. A: 105 IU; 2% Thiamin: .3 mg; 20%
Riboflavin: .3 mg; 18% Folacin: 22 mcg; 6% Niacin: 2 mg; 11%
Food Exchanges: 1.5 Starch; .5 Fat

Blini Recipe and Instructions

 

Pickled Herring - Nutrition Per Serving
(1 cup)
Total Calories: 366
% from fat: 63
Total Fat: 25 grams; 39%
( percentages are of daily allowances based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet)
Saturated fat; 3.3g; 16%
monounsaturated fat: 17g; 75%
polyunsaturated fat: 2g; 10%
Cholesterol: 18 mg; 6% Potassium: 97mg; 3% Sodium: 1218mg; 50%
Total Carbohydrates: 15.5 gr; 4.5%
Dietary Fiber: 0gr; 0%
Protien: 20 gr; 40% Iron: 1.7 mg; 9.5% Calcium: 108 mg; 11%
Zinc: .75mg; 5% Vit. A: 1250 IU; 24% Thiamin: .05 mg; 3%
Vit. C: 0mg; 0% Vit. B12: 6 mcg;100%
Riboflavin: .2mg; 11% Folacin: 3.5 mcg; .8% Niacin: 4.5 mg; 23%
Food Exchanges: 2.8 Meat; 3.5 Fat

 

Cavier - Nutrition Per Serving
(1 tablespoon)
Total Calories: 40
% from fat: 58.5
Total Fat: 3 grams; 4.5%
( percentages are of daily allowances based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet)
Saturated fat; .64g; 3.2%
monounsaturated fat: .74g; 3.3%
polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; 5.5%
Cholesterol: 94 mg; 31% Potassium: 29mg; .8% Sodium: 240mg; 10%
Total Carbohydrates: .65 gr; .2%
Dietary Fiber: 0gr; 0%
Protien: 4 gr; 8% Iron: 2 mg; 11% Calcium: 44 mg; 4.5%
Zinc: .15mg; 1% Vit. A: 300 IU; 6% Thiamin: .03mg; 2%
Vit. C: 90re; 9% Vit. B12: 3.2 mcg; 53%
Riboflavin: .09mg; 5.3% Folacin: 8 mcg; 2%
Food Exchanges: .5 Meat; .2 Fat
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955