Eating well is about understanding food and nutrition and making food choices that support a healthy diet. Eating well is a lifestyle choice that should be simple and sustainable. Unfortunately in today’s world making healthy food choices can be challenging and confusing. Despite the obesogenic environment that we find ourselves living in, it is still possible to consume a nutritionally sound, varied diet that is tasty and healthy.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet is one that involves eating a variety of nutritious foods in moderation and balance.
Variety sees the consumption of a range of different food types from between and within the major food groups (fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat and meat alternatives and dairy).
Nutritious foods are defined as those foods that provide a significant range of nutrients in appropriate amounts.
Moderation is about being conscious of portion sizes without over eating.
Balance is concerned with eating a range of foods from across the different food groups in appropriate portion sizes.
A healthy diet is one based on:
- Unsaturated fats (mono and polyunsaturated) and essential fatty acids;
- Complex carbohydrates and fibre;
- Quality protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and pulses);
- Vegetables;
- Fruit;
- Low fat dairy or alternatives;
- Water as the main drink.
It is also a pattern of eating that reduces consumption of:
- Added sugars;
- Salt;
- Saturated and trans-fats;
- Soft drinks;
- Artificial additives;
- Excessive alcohol.
Healthy eating is also about consuming whole foods, taking care of the produce we eat and avoiding those foods that are overly processed, altered and refined. A healthy diet provides the full range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, amino acids, essential fatty acids, dietary fibre, energy and water that the body needs everyday to function properly.
Is healthy eating synonymous with boring?
Just hearing the word ‘healthy’ is enough for some people to tune out and become disinterested. Healthy eating does not automatically mean boring. It is about making food fun, exploring different tastes and textures and trying a range of different foods. Healthy eating does not have to be only lentils, vegetables and soy milk. It is about having a smart and sensible attitude towards food and recognizing that we should enjoy whole, minimally processed foods that are fresh and tasty.
