Eat Well Live Well Foods. These 8 easy tips explain the basics of healthy eating and help you make better choices. The key to a healthy diet is to consume the right amount of calories for your activity level, ensuring that you expend the energy you take in. If you eat or drink more than you need, you will gain weight because the unused energy is stored as fat, and if you eat or drink too little, you will lose weight. Eating a variety of foods helps keep your diet balanced and provides your body with all the necessary nutrients. Eat Well Live Well Foods. It is recommended to consume approximately 2,500 calories (10,500 kilojoules) per day for men and around 2,000 calories (8,400 kilojoules) for women. Most adults are eating more calories than they need, so they need to eat fewer calories.

Base Your Meals on Higher Fibre Starchy Carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates should make up about a third of your diet, such as potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals. Eat Well Live Well Foods. It’s best to choose high-fiber or whole-grain varieties, such as whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, or peeled potatoes, as these provide more fiber than white or refined carbohydrates and help you feel fuller for longer. Eat Well Live Well Foods. Try to include at least one starchy food at each main meal. Some people think these foods are fattening, but they actually provide less than half the calories from fat. However, when you cook or serve them, pay attention to the added fats, as these are the ones that add calories, such as oil on chips, butter on bread, and creamy sauces on pasta.

Eat Lots of Fruit and Veg

It is recommended to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, which can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or in juice form. Getting your 5 portions a day is not as difficult as it seems. For example, add a sliced ​​banana to your cereal for breakfast, or replace your usual mid-morning snack with some fresh fruit. Eat Well Live Well Foods: A portion of fresh, canned, or frozen fruits and vegetables is 80 grams, while a portion of dried fruit is 30 grams and should only be eaten with meals. A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice, or smoothie also counts as a portion, but don’t drink more than one glass a day as these drinks are sugary and can be bad for your teeth.

Eat More Fish, Including a Portion of Oily Fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals.

Try to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, at least 1 of which should be oily fish.

Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease.

Oily fish include: salmon, trout, herring, sardines, pilchards, and mackerel.

Non-oily fish include: haddock, plaice, croaker, cod, tuna, skate, and hake.

You can use fresh, frozen, or canned fish, but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Most people should eat more fish, but there are specific limits for some types of fish.

Also Read: Healthy Dinner Recipes: 5 Nutritious Meals for Busy Nights

Cut Down on Saturated Fat and Sugar

Saturated Fat

A small amount of fat is important in your diet, but it’s important to watch how much and what kind of fat you’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease.

In general, it’s best to limit saturated fat to no more than 30 grams per day for men and 20 grams for women. Eat Well Live Well Foods. Children under 11 should consume less fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is not recommended for children under 5. Full-fat dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are recommended for children up to 2 years of age.

Saturated fat is found in these foods:

Fatty cuts of meat

Sausages

Butter

Hard cheese

Cream

Cakes

Biscuits

Lard

Pies

Eat less saturated fat and choose foods with unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oils, spreads, oily fish, and avocados. Eat Well Live Well Foods. For a healthier choice, use a little vegetable oil, olive oil, or a low-fat spread instead of butter, lard, or ghee. When eating meat, choose lean cuts and trim visible fat. All types of fat are high in energy, so eat only in small amounts.

Sugar

Eating foods and drinks high in sugar increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Sugary foods and drinks are high in energy, and if consumed frequently, can lead to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay if eaten between meals.

Free sugar is sugar that is added to foods or drinks, or naturally found in honey, syrups, unsweetened juices, and smoothies. Eat Well Live Well Foods. This is the sugar that should be reduced, not the sugar found in fruit and milk.

Free sugar is found in these foods:

Sweet fizzy drinks

Sweet breakfast cereals

Cakes

Biscuits

Pastries and puddings

Toffee and chocolate

Alcoholic drinks

You can tell how much sugar is in a food by looking at food labels. Eat Well Live Well Foods. A food with more than 22.5g of sugar per 100g is considered high in sugar, and a food with 5g or less of sugar per 100g is low in sugar.

Eat Less Salt: No More Than 6g a Day for Adults

Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, and people with high blood pressure are at higher risk of heart disease or stroke. Eat Well Live Well Foods. Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you could still be eating too much salt, as about three-quarters of the salt is already in store-bought foods, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads, and sauces. Check food labels to reduce salt; if a food contains more than 1.5g of salt per 100g, it is considered high in salt. Adults and children aged 11 and over should have no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoon) a day, while younger children should have even less.

Also Read: Easy Food for Large Groups: 12 Delicious Recipes Everyone Will Love

Conclusion

A balanced diet is crucial for maintaining good health. Eat Well Live Well Foods. We should include fiber-rich starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and fish, especially oily fish, in our meals to get the right amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Saturated fats, excess sugar, and high salt intake should be reduced to prevent weight gain, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Along with healthy eating, people of all ages should pay attention to their calories and nutrients to get the right amount of food according to their body’s energy needs. Eat Well Live Well Foods. By adopting these principles, your body can stay healthy, full of energy, and protected from diseases.

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