Maintaining a healthy diet is most easily achieved by including a variety of foods each day. Sadly, food and the business of eating is over-simplified in the popular media, with many people now categorising foods as ‘high carb’ or ‘low fat’, without considering the food as a whole, and all the amazing nutrients it provides as part of a balanced diet. Likewise, weight management shouldn’t be about excluding whole food groups or healthy foods. A large part of the battle to maintain a healthy weight can be overcome by getting back to the basics of healthy, balanced eating from each of the Five Food Groups:
1) Breads and Cereals– foods from this group, particularly wholegrain varieties, provide carbohydrate, fibre, protein and a wide range of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins which are needed to breakdown food into energy.
2) Vegetables and salad– provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which play an important role in prevention of diseases such as cancer., protein and a wide range of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins which are needed to breakdown food into energy.
3) Fruit – provides carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruit is a portable, nutritious source of energy and nutrients, that is low in calories.
4) Dairy and alternatives – foods from this group are rich in calcium, zinc, protein, and B vitamins. Calcium can assist with maintaining bone density. Dairy calcium has also been shown to assist with weight loss by binding fat in the intestine to prevent its absorption.
5) Meat, Fish, Poultry, Egg, Nuts, Legumes – foods from this group are rich in protein, which assists with appetite control. Red meat is a rich source of iron and vitamin B12. Oily fish such as salmon and sardines are rich in Omega 3 fats which have anti-inflammatory effects, are beneficial for psychological health, and assist with reducing LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol.
| Recommended serves per day for healthy weight maintenance | Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta, etc | Vegetables / salad | Fruit | Dairy and alternatives | Meat, Fish, Poultry and alternatives | Extras e.g chocolate, lollies, cake |
| MEN(19-60 yrs) |
6+ |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0-3 |
| WOMEN(19-60 yrs) |
4+ |
5 |
2 |
2+ |
1 |
0-2 |
TIP 1: Is your diet really in balance? For the next week, take a look at how balanced your daily diet is by monitoring the number of food groups serves you consume each day. Which food groups are you eating too many of and which are you lacking? A diet too high in breads/cereals or extras, and low in fruit and vegetables is likely to lead to weight gain.
An example of one serve is: 2 slices wholegrain bread or 1 cup cooked rice, 1 piece fruit or 1 cup berries or tinned fruit, 200g yoghurt or 40 g cheese, 90g meat or fish or ½ cup legumes, 1 cup salad or ½ cup cooked vegetables.
Consuming enough, but not too many serves of each of the five food groups each day, helps prevent nutrient deficiencies, and may reduce cravings by providing your body with what it needs. Balanced eating also ensures adequate protein and fibre, which help you to feel full, making you less likely to resort to snacking on unhealthy, high calorie, convenience foods.
So what exactly is a balanced meal?…
Vegetables should comprise the majority of any main meal. They are lowest in calories, and highest in fibre and nutrients. Aim for ½ plate non starchy vegetables, ¼ plate cereals or starch vegetables, and ¼ plate lean proteins such as meat, chicken, legumes, fish or eggs.
TIP 2: Aim to fill half your plate with vegetables at each lunch and dinner meal for the next week. You could save yourself up to 300 Calories per meal.
Food is definitely to be enjoyed, but to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy weight, we do need to get back to basics and get the balance right. As they say, it really is about “everything in moderation”.
If you need individualised weight loss or healthy eating advice, look no further than the experts at Lifestar Nutrition & Exercise Physiology. www.lifestarnutrition.com.au.