I remember that my father used to talk about "exchanges" in the context of a diabetes-control diet (though as I understand it, the same approach and terminology is used in other diets as well).
My fuzzy recollection is that it's sort of a "you can eat this many items from column A, this many from column B, this many from column C, but you can trade two from column C for one of column B..." thing. So a hamburger on a bun would be something like one "meat exchange" and one "bread exchange", and the fries (or chips), being high in starch, would be another "bread exchange". Instead of knowing the exact quantities of fat/protein/starch/sugar in each dish, you have a "table of equivalences". And what combination of exhanges you aim for in a day depends on the reason for your diet.
Wow, I remember a lot less of that than I thought I did.
So, to use the term "exchange" as a unit, there needs must be some commonly known, accepted, and accredited table of equivalences. Otherwise I could claim any equivalence to be true -- and looking at the output of food scientists over the last four decades, have support for my claims.
(no subject)
(no subject)
My fuzzy recollection is that it's sort of a "you can eat this many items from column A, this many from column B, this many from column C, but you can trade two from column C for one of column B..." thing. So a hamburger on a bun would be something like one "meat exchange" and one "bread exchange", and the fries (or chips), being high in starch, would be another "bread exchange". Instead of knowing the exact quantities of fat/protein/starch/sugar in each dish, you have a "table of equivalences". And what combination of exhanges you aim for in a day depends on the reason for your diet.
Wow, I remember a lot less of that than I thought I did.
(no subject)