8 tips for healthy eating
If you eat or drink more than your body needs, you'll put on weight because the energy you do not use is stored as fat. If you eat and drink too little, you'll lose weight
The key to a healthy diet is to eat the right amount of calories for how active you are so you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use.
If you eat or drink more than your body needs, you'll put on weight because the energy you do not use is stored as fat. If you eat and drink too little, you'll lose weight, says the National Health Service (NHS), UK.
It would help to eat a wide range of foods to ensure you're getting a balanced diet and your body receives all the nutrients it needs.
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NHS UK recommends that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules).
The healthcare service published the following eight tips for healthy eating on its website.
Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates
Starchy carbohydrates should make up just over a third of your food. They include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals.
Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as brown rice or potatoes, with their skins on.
They contain more fibre than white or refined starchy carbohydrates and can help you feel full longer.
Try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram, the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.
Keep an eye on the fats you add when cooking or serving these foods because that's what increases the calorie content – for example, oil on chips, butter on bread and creamy sauces on pasta.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
It's recommended that you eat at least five portions of various fruit and veg daily. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.
Getting your "5 A Day" is easier than it sounds. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?
In Bangladesh's context, wrapping a banana in a piece of breakfast roti or paratha also works.
A portion of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables is 80g. A portion of dried fruit (which should be kept to mealtimes) is 30g.
A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie also counts as one portion, but limit the amount to no more than one glass a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage your teeth.
Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish
Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals.
Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish.
Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease.
Most people should be eating more fish, but there are recommended limits for some types of fish.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Saturated fat
You need some fat in your diet, but paying attention to the amount and type of fat you're eating is important.
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. On average, women should have no more than 20g of saturated fat a day.
Children under 11 should have less saturated fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is unsuitable for children under five. In addition, full-fat dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt, are recommended up to the age of two years.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as:
- fatty cuts of meat
- butter
- ghee
- hard cheese
- cream
- cakes
- biscuits
- sausages
- pies
Try to eat less saturated fat and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils and spreads, oily fish and avocados.
Use a small amount of vegetable or olive oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter or ghee for a healthier choice.
When eating meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.
All types of fat are high in energy, so they should only be eaten in small amounts.
Sugar
Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.
Sugary foods and drinks are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories) and can contribute to weight gain if consumed too often.
They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.
Free sugars are any sugars added to foods or drinks or found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies.
This is the type of sugar you should be cutting down on, rather than the sugar found in fruit and milk.
Many packaged foods and drinks contain surprisingly high amounts of free sugars.
Free sugars are found in many foods, such as:
- sugary fizzy drinks
- sugary breakfast cereals
- cakes
- biscuits
- pastries and puddings
- sweets and chocolate
- alcoholic drinks
Food labels can help. Use them to check how much sugar foods contain.
More than 22.5g of total sugar per 100g means the food is high in sugar, while 5g or less per 100g implies the food is low in sugar.
Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.
Even if you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much.
About three-quarters of the salt you eat is already in the food when you buy it, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces.
Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt.
Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) daily. Younger children should have even less.
Get active and be a healthy weight
In addition to eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting severe health conditions. It's also essential for your overall health and well-being.
Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories.
If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.
You can check whether you're healthy by using a BMI healthy weight calculator.
NHS UK also offers a free weight loss plan with a mobile app, which is a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity.
Do not get thirsty
It would help if you drink plenty of fluids to stop you getting dehydrated. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water daily is recommended. This is in addition to the fluid you get from your food.
All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, lower-fat milk and lower-sugar drinks, including tea and coffee, are healthier choices.
Avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks, as they're high in calories. They're also bad for your teeth.
Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are high in free sugar.
Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day, which is a small glass.
Remember to drink more fluids during hot weather or while exercising.
Never skip breakfast
Some people tend to skip breakfast because they think it'll help them lose weight.
But a healthy breakfast high in fibre and low in fat, sugar and salt can form part of a balanced diet and help you get the nutrients you need for good health.
