HEALTHY FOODS AND HEALTHY FEEDING HABITS
A good diet is important for good
health. Eating a variety of foods can
improve general wellbeing, reduce
the risk of conditions including heart
disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes
and osteoporosis (thin bones) and help
you manage your weight. You need
to eat sensibly, choosing a varied diet
from a range of foods, not smoking
and keeping active are all great ways
to boost your health.
Different types of food
The Eatwell Guide can help you to understand the
different types of food that make up a healthy diet. It
also shows how much of these foods you should eat to
have a well-balanced and healthy diet. It’s a good idea
to try to get this balance right throughout the week.
The Eatwell Guide is made up of five food groups – fruit
and vegetables; bread, rice, potatoes and other starchy
foods; meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy
sources of protein; milk and dairy foods; and oil and
spreads. If you choose a variety of foods from the groups
you can easily achieve this healthy balance.
Foods high in fat, salt and sugars are not needed in the
diet, so if you do choose to include them then try to have
them less often and in smaller amounts. Read on for
some useful tips
1. Five portions of fruit and
Vegetables each day
and remember, fresh,
frozen, dried and canned all count towards
your total 5-a-day. Don’t forget to include
the vegetables you add to cooked dishes,
for example onions in a stew or casserole,
tomatoes in a pasta sauce or vegetable soup
are included.
2.Include starchy foods such as bread,
chapattis, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice,
noodles, oats and pasta as part of your meals/
snacks. Aim to include one food from this group
at each meal time and eat regularly. Try and opt
for wholegrains where possible.
3. Variety - choose a variety of different
types and colours of fruit and vegetables. As
well as providing vitamins, minerals and fibre,
the natural colours and flavours of plants add
powerful anti-oxidants to our diet.
4. Meat, fish, eggs and pulses (beans
and lentils) - choose lean meat or remove
excess fat and remove the skin from chicken.
Avoid frying where possible. Try to include two portions
of fish each week, one of which should be an oily
fish (darker skinned), for example: mackerel, trout,
sardines, kippers or fresh tuna.
5. Dairy - with dairy foods providing the richest and
best absorbed source of dietary calcium, try for three
portions a day to meet most calcium needs.
A portion is:
• a small pot of yoghurt
• 1/3 pint of milk
• a small matchbox size piece of cheese.
Try to choose reduced fat versions where you can, for
example semi-skimmed milk or low fat yoghurt.
6. Oils and Spreads - try to choose low-fat spreads
and use a small amount. Opt for one that is low in
saturated fat and made from olive, sunflower, rapeseed
or vegetable oils. Saturated fat increases the low
density lipoproteins (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol in your
blood which can lead to heart disease. Choosing
mono-unsaturated spreads (such as those made from
olive or rapeseed oils) help to lower blood levels of
harmful LDL cholesterol, and boost levels of ‘good’ high
density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol.
It is important to remember that all types of fat are high
in energy and should be limited in the diet.
7. Sugar and fat - are high in calories, so try to
cut down on foods and drinks with lots of sugar/fat in
such as sweets, cakes, crisps and sugary soft drinks.
Choose low-fat or reduced sugar foods where possible.
Summary
Eat a range of foods from the main food groups to
make sure you have a balanced diet. Eat the right
amount of food for how active you are. Most of all –
enjoy your food!
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