Healthy Eating Guidelines

Healthy Eating Guidelines

Many people are unsure of what healthy eating means. The following healthy eating guidelines apply to most people over the age of 5, with no special dietary requirements.

Fruit & Vegetables

Studies consistently show that people who have diets high in fruits and vegetables have substantially lower risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, several cancers, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. This group includes fresh, frozen, canned, dried, pure juices, and beans. The key is to choose a wide variety - eat five different portions per day. A portion is approximately 80g, e.g. one medium apple or two medium plums.

Bread, Cereals & Potatoes

Cereal fiber and whole grains (contain a range of vitamins and other beneficial chemicals) have been shown to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and some cancers. Eating more bread and cereals also helps you eat less fat. This group includes breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, oats, bread and potatoes. Try to get at least four varied serves a day (women) and five (men). A serve is two slices of bread or a cup of cooked rice or pasta.

Dairy Products

Dairy foods are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. Not enough calcium is associated with osteoporosis. This group includes low-fat milk, cheese, and yoghurt, but not butter, eggs and cream. Two to four serves a day are recommended. A serve is a cup of milk, 40 g of cheese, or 200 g of yoghurt. The alternatives include calcium-fortified soy beverages or tofu, a cup of almonds, five sardines or half a cup of canned pink salmon (with bones).

Meat & Fish

Meat, fish and chicken are rich in iron absorbed by the body better than from vegetables and grains. Deficiency leads to tiredness and anaemia. Meat’s also rich in zinc (for making protein), vitamin B12 (for the nervous system and making DNA) and protein. Alternatives are legumes, nuts, tofu, mycoprotein, TVP or kidney beans. Eat a moderate serve of lean red meat three or four times and, for omega-3 fatty acids, three meals of fish a week. Liver, oysters and mussels are also rich in iron.

Saturated (and Trans) Fat

High levels of saturated and trans fat in the diet are risk factors for heart disease. Saturated fat’s found in milk, cream, butter, cheese, fatty meats, and in palm, coconut, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Limit creamy sauces and gravies, fried chicken, burgers, chips biscuits, pastries and cakes. Choose low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt, poly- or mono-unsaturated spreads, and lean meat cuts. The emphasis should be on unsaturated fat e.g. olive, sunflower and corn oil.

Water

Water is essential, it’s needed for digestion, absorption, transportation, nutrients solvent, elimination of waste products and temperature regulation. Long-term mild dehydration and poor fluid intake can result in higher risk of kidney stones and urinary tract cancers. Average-sized adults should drink six to eight glasses (1.5 to 2 L) of fluid a day. Water is the best; tea contains antioxidants; fruit and vegetable juices are rich in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Salt

Cutting back on salt may stop your blood pressure getting higher, or help reduce already high blood pressure – which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Salt’s a factor in osteoporosis, kidney stones, asthma and heart enlargement. An upper daily limit of just over a teaspoon of salt is recommended (added at the table and in cooking as well as present in processed foods).

Alcohol

Drinking a lot of alcohol is related with many conditions, as high blood pressure and stroke, cancers, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. On the flipside, moderate intake of alcohol can reduce the risk of heart disease, and the polyphenols in red wine may prevent blood cells sticking together and reduce fatty deposits in arteries. Adults should limit their alcohol to less than one (women) or two (men) standard drinks a day. A standard drink is one medium light beer (3.5%), one nip of spirits or 100 mL of wine.

Sugar

Sugar provides calories, but no needed nutrients, linked to dental decay and may be associated with syndrome X. Total sugar (naturally occurred in fruit and milk and added as sucrose, glucose, fructose, malt or honey) should be less than 20% of the kilojoules you eat. Limit sugary foods without essential nutrients, as confectionery, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits and pastries. It’s all right to add a teaspoon of sugar or honey to a breakfast cereal for taste.