Healthy Eating!

What is healthy Eating?

Healthy Eating isn't about cutting out foods, it's about eating a wide variety of foods in the right amounts to give your body what it needs.

There really are no single foods that you must eat in order to be healthy, all foods can be included in a healthy diet, you just need to make sure that you get the right balance. Think of all food in 5 groups.

• Fruit and Vegetables
• Carbohydrates - Bread, Rice Pasta
• Protein – Meat, Fish, Eggs, Beans
• Dairy – Milk, Cheese, yogurt
• Fat & Sugar – Chocolate, Cakes, Fizzy Drinks

 The eat well plate illustrates how much of what you eat should come from each food group.

Fruit and Vegetables.

Evidence shows that people who eat more than 5 portions of fruit and veg per day have a lower risk of developing heart disease. These foods also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals which your body needs to keep healthy. Fruit and veg are a good source of fibre so they will keep you feeling fuller for longer as well as keeping your digestive system healthy.

In order to be eat healthy, you don’t need to get this right in every meal, but try to get it right over a day or week.

Carbohydrates

These foods often get a bad reputation as being “fattening” although they have virtually no fat in them. The trick is not to add lots of fat when cooking them, so bake, boil or steam rather than frying to reduce fat once cooked.

This food group is the body’s main source of energy to do not neglect your carbs. Choose a variety of foods from within this food group and wholegrain options as much as possible. Wholegrain will keep you give you energy that is released slowly making you feel fuller and less likely to eat unhealthy snacks between meals.

Dairy

This food group includes milk and milk products such as cheese, yogurt and fromage frais. It doesn’t include butter, margarines or cream, which are part of the high fat group. Aim for 2-3 portions of milk and dairy foods per day and choose low fat versions where possible. This food group provides us with calcium and protein which are essential for healthy bones, but also vitamins A and B12.

Unsweetened soy milk with added calcium can be a good alternative for those who don’t drink milk or eat dairy foods.

Protein

Protein is important for bodily function and repair, these foods give you vitamins, minerals and a good source of iron and B12. Some sources of protein however can be high in fat which can increase blood cholesterol. Therefore making healthy choices such as choosing lean cuts and removing visible skin and fat. Also the way in which you cook can help you eat meat as part of a balanced diet.

 Protein can come from the following food sources.

-          Meat

-          Poultry

-          Fish

-          Shell Fish

-          Eggs

-          Pulses

-          Nuts

-          Seeds

-          Soya Products

You should aim a eat a variety of these foods 2-3 times per day. Watch out for protein and convenience foods containing meat, for example – sausages, burgers, pies and breaded foods such as fish fingers as they often contain hidden fats and salt.

Fat and Sugar

In order to have a healthy diet you should only have a very small amount of food and drinks high in fat and/or sugar. Swap these foods for healthier versions or keep them for special occasions.

Foods such as cakes, crisps, sweets, chocolate, sugary and fizzy drinks tend to be the foods which we need to cut down on. Whilst they can be included in a balanced diet, they are not essential every day foods.

A well balanced diet is the secret to successful healthy eating!