Healthy eating habits are about getting the right calories for your activity level. This will ensure that you have the right balance of energy consumption and energy use.
You’ll gain weight if you consume more calories than your body needs. The energy you don’t use will be stored as fat. You’ll lose weight if you drink and eat too much.
To ensure that your body receives all the nutrients it requires, you should eat various foods
Men should consume around 2,500 calories per day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should consume around 2000 calories per day (8,400 kilojoules).
The majority of adults in the UK eat more calories than they need. They should consume fewer calories.
Your meals should be based on high fibre starchy carbohydrates
Starchy carbohydrates should account for just over a third. These include bread, rice and pasta, as well as cereals.
Select wholegrain or higher-fiber varieties such as wholewheat pasta or brown rice, or potatoes with their skins still on.
These carbohydrates are rich in fibre and can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time.
Include at least one starchy vegetable with every main meal. Starchy foods may be thought to be fattening. However, gram for gram, the amount of carbohydrate in starchy foods provides less than half the calories of fat.
When you cook or serve these foods, be mindful of the fats that you use. This is what will increase the calories.
Get lots of fruits and vegetables
You should eat at most 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables every day. You can eat them fresh, frozen, canned or dried.
It’s easier than you think to get your 5 A Days. You can chop up a banana to go with your breakfast cereal or substitute your mid-morning snack with a piece of fresh fruit.
80g is the average serving size of fresh, canned, or frozen fruits and vegetables. 30g is a portion of dried fruits (which should only be consumed at mealtimes).
One portion is a 150ml glass fruit juice, vegetable juice, or smoothie. However, you should limit how many of these drinks you consume per day because they can cause tooth damage.
Consume more fish, and include a small amount of oily fish
Fish is a great source of protein, and it also contains many vitamins and minerals .
You should aim to consume at least 2 portions of fish per week, which includes at least 1 portion of oily fish.
Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish, which can help to prevent heart disease.
Oily fish include:
- Salmon
- trout
- Herring
- Sardines
- pilchards
- mackerel
These are non-oily fish:
- Haddock
- Plaice
- coley
- cod
- tuna
- skate
- Hake
There are three options: canned, frozen, and fresh. However, remember that canned and smoked fish can have high salt content.
While most people should eat more fish, there are limits to certain types of fish.
Reduce saturated fats and sugar intake
Saturated fat
While you need to eat some fat, it is important to be aware of the type and amount of fat you are consuming.
There are two main types of fats: unsaturated and saturated. Saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels, increasing your chances of developing heart disease.
Men should not consume more than 30g saturated fat per day. Women should consume no more than 20g saturated fat per day.
Children younger than 11 years old should consume less saturated fat than adults. However, children below 5 years of age shouldn’t eat a low-fat diet.
Many foods contain saturated fat, including:
- Fattier cuts of meat
- sausages
- Butter
- hard cheese
- Cream
- Cakes
- biscuits
- Lard
- Pizzeria
Reduce your saturated fat intake by choosing foods rich in unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, spreads, and oily fish, instead.
You can make your choice healthier by using a smaller amount of vegetable oil or olive oil or a reduced-fat spread in place of butter, lard, or ghee.
Choose lean meat cuts and trim any visible fat.
All fats are high in energy, so it is important to eat them in small quantities.
Sugar
Consuming foods and drinks with high amounts of sugar can increase your risk of weight gain and tooth loss.
Sugary foods and drinks can be high in energy, measured in kilojoules and calories. This can lead to weight gain if they are consumed too often. Sugary foods and drinks can cause tooth decay, especially when eaten between meals.
Sugars that are not added to food or beverages or found in honey, syrups, unsweetened fruit juices, and smoothies, are called free sugars.
This is the type of sugar you should reduce, not the sugar in milk and fruit.
Unsurprisingly, many packaged foods and beverages contain high levels of sugars.
Many foods contain no sugar, including:
- sugary fizzy drinks
- Sugary breakfast cereals
- Cakes
- biscuits
- Pastries and desserts
- Sweets and chocolate
- Alcoholic drinks
Food labels can help. These labels can be used to determine how much sugar is in foods.
Food with more than 22.5g total sugars per 100g is considered high-sugar. Foods with less than 5g total sugars per 100g are considered low-sugar.
Adults should eat no more salt than 6g per day
Salt intake can increase blood pressure. High blood pressure people are more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
Salt can still be added to food.
Three-quarters of all the salt in food you eat comes from the food you buy, including breakfast cereals, soups, breads, and sauces.
