Healthy Eating and Your Health

Healthy eating is a lifestyle habit that is necessary for health, vitality, to prevent chronic diseases and to make satisfactory recovery from illness.

The food we eat are classified in four groups. it is necessary that we eat foods from all four groups for maximum nutrition.

Vegetables and Fruit

This is food group number one. It is the most important food group; we need more servings of this group than we do of the others. An adult 19-50, for example requires 7-10 servings daily for a healthy eating pattern. A male requires more than a female.

Examples of a serving:

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables

• 1 medium fruit

• 1/2 cup cooked leafy vegetables

• 125 ml fruit juice (100%)

• 1/2 cup frozen, canned or fresh vegetables

• 1/2 cup frozen, canned or fresh fruit

You can choose frozen, canned or dry vegetables and fruits for your meals; however caution must be used due to salt, sugar and fat. Check the nutritional labels and choose the ones with the lowest fat, sugar and salt.

Dark green and orange vegetables are high in folate and vitamin 'A'. These provide additional nutrients and should therefore be part of your meal plate every day. Mixing them will make a wholesome meal.

Grain Products

This is the next food group it is the second most important food group. Grains are excellent sources of fibre and are low in fat. Grain products provide carbohydrates, iron, fibre,vitamin B, magnesium and zinc.

Grain products include whole grain which is more important than refined grains.

Examples of whole grains: Brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur,quinoa, oatmeal, wild rice, whole oats, whole rye and whole wheat.

Examples of a serving of grain products:

• 1 slice of bread

• 1/2 bagel

• 1/2 cup cooked rice

• 1/2 cup cooked pasta or couscous

• 30g of cereal

• 1/2 pita or tortilla

Tips

Start your day with whole grains for breakfast

Make whole grains at least 1/2 of your daily servings of grains

Choose whole wheat flour and whole wheat pizza crust .

If using white flour, look for enriched flour. Check the ingredients of white flour for added vitamins and minerals.

Read the nutritional value on packaging and choose cereals that are higher in fibre.

The two other food groups are

1-Milk & Milk Alternatives

Milk and milk alternatives products are milk, fortified soy beverage, cheese, yogurt and kefir. This food group is third in importance meaning we need fewer servings of this group than we need of vegetables and grains.

Two cups daily will provide adequate vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B, zinc, protein, magnesium.

There is a nutrition caution with the use of milk products, for this choose milk products that are lower in fat such as skim, 1% or 2%.

2-Meat & Meat Alternatives

Meat and meat alternative products provide iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin-B, protein, fat and Omega-3. Omega-3 present in fish reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The good news for vegetarians is that this group includes non-animal products as well.

There is a nutrition caution with this food group, overeating animal meat is linked to certain diseases. High content of saturated fat in meat makes it unsuitable for low-fat consumption. To offset this caution it is recommended that we eat more meat alternative products than animal meat.

Examples of foods products in this group are: poultry, lean meat, eggs, legumes, lentils, fish, nuts, peanut, peanut butter, tofu and chick peas.

Tips For Eating Meat products

1. Get 2 servings of fish a week into your diet for a healthy eating pattern.

2. Eat legumes and beans often, they are excellent alternatives, cheaper and nutritious enough.

3. Choose lean meat

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