5 Keys to a Healthy Diet

 

Healthy Food

1. Breastfeed babies and young children
From birth to 6 months of age,
feed babies exclusively with
breast milk (i.e. give them no
other food or drink), and feed
them "on demand" (i.e. often
as they want, day and night).

At 6 months of age, introduce
a variety of safe and nutritious foods to
complement breastfeeding, and continue to
breastfeed until babies are 2 years of age or
beyond.

Do not add salt or sugars to foods for babies
and young children

Why?
On its own, breast milk provides all the nutrients
and fluids that babies need for their first 6
months of healthy growth and development.

Exclusively breastfed babies have better
resistance against common childhood illnesses
such as diarrhoea, respiratory infections and ear
infections. In later life, those who were breastfed
as infants are less likely to become overweight or
obese, or to suffer from noncommunicable
diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and
stroke.

2. Eat a variety of foods

Eat a combination of different foods, including
staple foods (e.g. cereals such as wheat,
barley, rye, maize or rice, or starchy tubers or
roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava),
legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), vegetables, fruit
and foods from animals sources (e.g. meat,
fish, eggs and milk)

Why?

Eating a variety of whole (i.e. unprocessed) and
fresh foods every day helps children and adults
to obtain the right amounts of essential
nutrients. It also helps them to avoid a diet that
is high in sugars, fats and salt, which can lead to
unhealthy weight gain (i.e. overweight and
obesity) and noncommunicable diseases. Eating
a healthy, balanced diet is especially important
for young children's and development; it also
helps older people to have healthier and more
active lives.


3. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit

Eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruit.

For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh
fruit, rather than foods that are high in
sugars, fats or salt.

Avoid overcooking vegetables and fruit as this
can lead to the loss of important vitamins.

When using canned or dried vegetables and
fruit, choose varieties without added salt and
sugars.

Why?
Vegetables and fruit are important sources of
vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, plant protein
and antioxidants. People whose diets are rich in
vegetables and fruit have a significantly lower
risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes
and certain types of cancer. 

4. Eat moderate amounts of fats and oils

Use unsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. olive, soy,
sunflower or corn oil) rather than animals fats
or oils high in saturated fats (e.g. butter,
ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil).

Choose white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish,
which are generally low in fats, in preference
to red meat.

Eat only limited amounts of processed meats
because these are high in fat and salt.

Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced'fat
versions of milk and dairy products.

Avoid processed, baked and fried foods that
contain industrially produced trans-fat.

Why?

Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy,
and eating too much fat, particularly the wrong
kinds of fat, can be harmful to health. For
example, people who eat too much saturated fat
and trans-fat are at higher risk of heart disease
and stroke. Trans-fat may occur naturally in
certain meat and milk products, but the
industrially produced trans-fat (e.g. partially
hydrogenated oils) present in various processed
foods is the main source.

5. Eat less salt and sugars

When cooking and preparing foods, limit the
amount of salt and high-sodium condiments
(e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).

Avoid foods (e.g. snacks), that are high in salt
and sugars.

Limit intake of soft drinks or soda and other
drinks that are high in sugars (e.g. fruit
juices, cordials and syrups, flavoured milks
and yogurt drinks).

Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks
such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Why?

People whose diets are high in sodium
(including salt) have a greater risk of high blood
pressure, which can increase their risk of heart
disease and stroke. Similarly, those whose diets
are high in sugars have a greater risk of
becoming overweight or obese, and an increased
risk of tooth decay. People who reduce the
amount of sugars in their diet may also reduce
their risk of noncommunicable diseases such as
heart disease and stroke.

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Article By: Immanuel Rottex

Good Morning,
Food, Nutrients & Health.