Do you want to start eating healthily today? Here are a few general tips to kickstart your day.
1. Healthy diets contain a variety of foods
In general, we should include a range of nutritious foods and eat:
- plenty of breads and cereals (particularly wholegrain), fruit, vegetables and legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils and red kidney beans). These food are at the base of the food pyramid and they contain essential carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals required by the body.
- low-salt foods, and use salt sparingly. Salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure and should be reduced in consumption.
- small amounts of sugar rich food. Unused sugar is stored in the body as glycogen and fats which will then increase body weight. Sugar rich diet also increases risk of developing diabetes.
- reduce milk and other dairy products which consists of high fat. Fats are stored in your body and is difficult to be broken down into energy.
- drink an adequate amount of water. Our body requires a lot of water for metabolic processes.
2. Keep fat to a minimum
Adult diets should be low in fat, especially saturated fat. Saturated fat, which is the main fat in animal products, fried foods, chocolate, cakes and biscuits, is more easily deposited as fat tissue than unsaturated fat. Saturated fat can also be converted into cholesterol and cause blood cholesterol levels to rise.Dietary fat helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
Small amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may have some health benefits when they are part of a healthy diet. Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts, olive oil and avocados, and may help to lower the bad type of cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL).
Polyunsaturated fats are generally thought to lower blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, nuts and seeds, are thought to have an anti-clotting effect on blood, to reduce the risk of heart disease and to possibly lower blood pressure.
3. Eat and drink less high-kilojoule foods
The total amount of energy-dense (high-kilojoule) foods you eat may be as important as the total amount of fat in your diet. To reduce the energy density of your diet, you need to increase the amount of plant foods, such as wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables that you eat.This will provide essential nutrients, help to make you feel ‘full’ and also reduce the amount of fat in your diet. High energy drinks such as sports drinks, cordials, soft drinks, fruit juice, energy drinks should also be limited.
4. Don’t skip breakfast
Children who skip breakfast generally have poorer nutrition. Their diets contain less: Calcium , iron , dietary fibre , vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin. Skipping breakfast becomes more common as children get older. Some schools have introduced breakfast programs because they were concerned about children who skip breakfast. Children generally perform better at school when they have breakfast. They are also more likely to maintain a healthy weight when they consume a healthy breakfast. Adults who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely be a healthy weight and more productive at work.
healthy breakfast ideas include:
- fresh fruit with wholegrain breakfast cereal and reduced fat milk.
- toast with a thin spread of margarine (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated)
- add in a slice of cheese and tomato onto the toast.
- orange juice
-baked beans on toast.
-fruit or plain yoghurt with fruit.