What you eat can either protect you or increase your chances of conditions such as heart disease and stroke. The following tips explain the basics of healthy eating.
1. Variety is the spice of life
The key to healthy eating is to eat a wide variety of foods. Using the food pyramid as a guide will help make sure you get all the goodness you need from your food. Foods that contain the same types of nutrients are grouped together on each food pyramid shelf.
Choose most foods from the bottom shelves and smaller amounts the higher up you go. Foods on the top Shelf are high in fat, sugar and salt, are not essential for health and should not be eaten daily.
2. Portion size matters
With over 60 per cent of the adult population either overweight or obese, it is not just the quality and variety of food that is important; how much we eat matters too. Check the food pyramid for guidelines on the recommended serving sizes for each food group.
3. Check your cooking
How food is prepared and cooked has a significant effect on its nutritional value. For example, to maximise the goodness in vegetables, cover them in the minimal amount of water, add a lid and cook until just tender. Better still, try steaming them. For tasty, heart-healthy recipes try the Irish Heart Foundation's 'I Love Good Food' cookbook, available from www.irishheart.ie
4. Look at labels
Food labels can be confusing. Some retailers and manufacturers now provide 'at a glance' nutrition information on the front of packs. The Irish Heart Foundation has produced a handy pocket-sized food shopping card to help you check how much fat, sugar and salt is in your food and to help you compare the nutritional content of different products. Order your free food shopping card from www.irishheart.ie
5. Don’t Forget drinks
Adults need about 8 – 10 cups of fluid every day but you need more if you are active. 1 cup is about 200mls. Water is the best drink, followed by low fat milk and pure fruit juice. Soft drinks can be high in sugar, providing a lot of calories but no nourishment.