In this article, you will find 8 tips for eating well and information for consumers who are interested knowing about tips for healthy eating.
Contents
hide
Eating a healthy, balanced diet means eating the right kind of food to provide our bodies with the right amounts of energy and nutrients. The average women need approximately 2000 calories a day and the average male needs approximately 2500 calories a day. The exact number of variables that you require, such as age, sex, height and how active you are .
Eating more calories daily than the body needs over time can contribute to weight gain and obesity. More than 50% of adults in Britain are overweight or obese, meaning that most of us consume so much calories. Public Health England has produced eight guidelines for healthier nutrition based on recommendations from the Eatwell Handbook, to help us eat a nutritious, regular diet.
8 tips for eating well
1. Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates
- Starchy carbohydrate foods include potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and noodles.
- Where possible choose wholegrain or higher fibre versions with less added fat, salt and sugar, or leave the skins on potatoes.
- Did you know? Starchy carbohydrate foods contain fewer than half the calories of fats per gram.
2. Eat lots of fruit and veg
- Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day as they contain different combinations of vitamins and minerals.
- Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced all count but remember unsweetened fruit juice and/or smoothies should be limited to 150ml per day in total and dried fruit should be limited to about 1 tablespoon (30g) per day and eaten with a meal.
- You could try grating vegetables like carrots and courgettes into a Bolognese sauce or add lots of vegetables to homemade tomato sauce and blend.
3. Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish
- Aim at least 2 servings of healthy fish per week (one part of which is around 140 g cooked weight) plus one portion of oily fish.
- Fleshy fish are one of the few known sources of Vitamin D food essential for bone health, including sustainably-sourced salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout. Clean seafood is also our main source of omega 3, an important source for heart safety.
- Choose fresh, fried, smoked and canned fish, but note that smoked and canned fish can contain high salt levels, so review the food labels for the lower salt type.
4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugars
- Swapping saturated fat, found in butter, ghee, chocolate, cheese and fatty cuts of meat, with unsaturated fat, found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocado, can help lower the level of cholesterol in your blood.
- Too much sugar, especially between meals, can increase risk of tooth decay and will add extra calories so cut down on sugary foods and drinks like cereals high in sugar, cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks. If you get a sweet craving you could try having fruit on yogurt instead, helping you to achieve your 5-a-day!
- Use food labels to help you choose foods lower in saturated fat and sugars by choosing varieties with more green and ambers on the front of pack label.
5. Eat less salt
- No more than 6 g (1 teaspoon) should be eaten perday by adults and even less by young children. An increased risk of hypertension is associated with a high intake of salt, putting you at a greater risk of developing stroke or heart disease.
- The bulk of our salt consumption comes from processed meals rather than salt applied to the meal when preparing or at the table. When comparing milk, the content of salt is greater than 1.5 g per 100 g and the volume of salt is lower than 0.3 g or less per 100 g.
- Attempt to use extra herbs, spices, lemon or vinegar to make the dishes with less salts.
6. Get active and be a healthy weight
- The government recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes vigorous intensity physical activity for adults 19-64 years of age and muscle strength training on at least two days per week.
- What counts? Moderate intensity activities include cycling or brisk walking. High or vigorous intensity activities include swimming and running. Muscle strengthening activities include weight lifting, exercises with weights or carrying heavy boxes or groceries.
- Over 60% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese which increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Physical activity can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke and help maintain a healthy weight.
7. Don’t get thirsty
- Aim for 6-8 glasses of fluid per day. Water is the best choice as it hydrates you without adding any extra calories to your daily intake.
- Other good options include unsweetened tea and coffee, sugar free drinks and low fat milk. Unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies count but remember intake should be limited to 150ml a day.
- Alcohol does not count because it makes you pass urine more frequently.
8. Don’t skip breakfast
- Protein, calories, vitamins and minerals essential for wellbeing may be given with a nutritious breakfast.
- To make a balanced beginning of the day, pick wholegrain cereals, pore or whole meal toast.
- Substitute cereals for cereals like flat porrides, sugar muesli, or wholegrain cereals. Substitute cereals for basic grains.
Read more about: When Healthy Eating Isn’t Healthy: Letting Go of the ‘Perfect’ Diet
