Healthy Eating
For adults, eating properly can
help not only to manage weight and help protect against certain
illnesses and diseases, but it can also promote a general feeling of
well being.
Principles of Eating Healthy
A
healthy diet is generally a balanced diet, rich in fresh produce and
low in fried foods and foods with high levels of sugar, salt and
saturated fats.
Our bodies need to take in food from all
food groups to stay healthy, so generally your diet should follow the
following principles:
- Plenty of starchy
foods, ideally those that are high in fibre and wholegrain wherever possible. This
food group includes the likes of rice, bread, pasta, potatoes and
breakfast cereals.
- A moderate amount of
dairy foods. These can sometimes contain high levels of fat, so
look for those with moderate to low fat levels.
-
A moderate amount of fish and meat, or food stuffs such as lentils,
eggs and beans for those whom meat and fish are prohibited. When
including these items in a meal, the right portion size would be about
the size of a pack of cards.
- Your 5 a Day of fruit and vegetables. See the section below for more information on this.
- As
mentioned the body needs food from all food groups and types, so remember that treats do
contribute to a healthy diet. Typically though, treats are high in salt
and sugar so must only be eaten in moderation.
5 a Day
The
government recommends a daily intake of 5 portions of fresh fruit
or vegetables every day to keep ourselves healthy. A portion is roughly
equivalent to about 80g.
According
to government figures, in the UK we generally eat about 3
portions of fresh fruit or vegetables each day, but if the population as a whole, upped this to the
recommended 5 a Day, it would significantly increase our general health
and well being, while cutting rates of illness including Coronary Heart Disease, Strokes and even certain Cancers.
The
government’s push for us to up our intake of fresh fruit and vegetables
is not just to reduce the cases of serious illness in the population;
it is also to fight the growing trend of obesity in the UK by
decreasing the amount of fat and sugar we intake generally.
When
planning your 5 a Day, try to eat fruit and vegetables of as many
different colours as possible. This is because different fruits and vegetables contain
different vitamins, minerals, compounds and generally different health
benefits.
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