Section 2. Getting the balance right. Why?
* Because the easiest way to eat healthier is by a balanced diet. By knowing what foods you need to eat and why you are prone to get the balance right?
What is eating healthy? It is not about cutting out groups of foods, in fact, it is about eating a wide variety of foods in the right amounts and frequency to give your body what it needs.
Some type of foods we need to eat more of, for example, fruit and vegetables, and others we need to less of, which are foods high in fats and salt and sugar.
Public health offers a guideline via the "The Eat Well Guide" where they display the types of food and drinks we should go for and in what proportions to have a healthy diet balanced diet.
The quantity of each food type you eat also matters. It is advised to base your meals on a high fibre starchy e.g wholegrain wholemeal pasta, bread cereal, brown rice and potatoes with skis as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables. Foods high in sugar, salt and fat should only be eaten occasionally. Remember these types of food are treats and not a snack.
Eat well Guide
*Let's talk about fruit and vegetables.
Eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables is really important to lower your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases and metabolic diseases. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and dietary fibre.
*There are five ways to get five a day:
Fresh, frozen fruit and veg as well as dried, jucied or tinned (injuice or water)
*How much is one portion of fruit and veg?
1 portion = the following
9 cherries or 7 strawberries or 10 grapes
1pear or 1 banana or 1 peach or 1 apple
Tinned fruit - 1 portion = the following
1 pear cut in half or 7 sliced peach
Dried fruit
3 Peach = 1 portion or 3 prunes
Tip
Juices and smoothies are a popular way to eat fruit and vegetables - However, it's actually better to eat fruits whole. Juices are much higher in free sugars and calories and contain less fibre than whole fruit.
Juice
Smoothie
Easy way to to add more veg into your diet:
* Have a side salad with your meal
* Cut carrots, peppers or celery for a crunchy afternoon snack
* Choose dishes that come in a tomato or vegetable-based sauce
* Stock up on tinned or frozen vegetables so you always have them to hand.
* If your family doesn't like vegetables, set yourselves a challenge of trying one new one a week
Vegetables 1 portion
Salad
Photos by BHF