8 tips for eating well Livestock Meat Commission

8 tips for eating well © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Learning outcomes Students should be able to: • Discuss the following ‘ 8 Tips for Eating Well’ (Food Standards Agency) as a way of helping consumers achieve a healthy and well-balanced diet: • base your meals on starchy foods; • eat lots of fruit and vegetables; • eat more fish; • cut down on saturated fat and sugar; • try to eat less salt; • get active and try to be a healthy weight; • drink plenty of water; and • don’t skip breakfast. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The 8 tips for eating well are: 1. Base your meals on starchy foods 2. Eat lots of fruit and veg 3. Eat more fish 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar 5. Eat less salt 6. Get active and be a healthy weight 7. Don’t get thirsty 8. Don’t skip breakfast © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Base your meals on starchy foods Starchy foods should make up about a third of the food we eat. They are a good source of energy and a source of nutrients such as fibre, B vitamins, iron, calcium and folate. We should try to include starchy foods at every meal by basing our meals on starchy foods, e. g. potatoes, breads, pasta, rice, noodles or cereals. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Base your meals on starchy foods Choose high fibre or wholegrain foods where possible as they contain more fibre and often more of other nutrients than refined starchy foods. Wholegrain foods include brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread, oats and breakfast cereals made from wholewheat (e. g. shredded wheat, wheat bisks). How many starchy foods can you think of? © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat lots of fruit and veg It is recommended that we eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. A portion of fruit and vegetables for an adult is 80 g. Fruit and vegetables should make up approximately one third of our daily food intake. Try to include some at every meal and also for snacks! Choose a variety of fruit and vegetables as they contain different combinations of vitamins and minerals. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat lots of fruit and veg Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and fruit juices* all count. Potatoes do not count towards 5 A DAY as they are a starchy food and belong in the bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods group of The eatwell plate. * Fruit juice counts a maximum of once towards your 5 A DAY. Limit fruit juice intake to 150 ml. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

How much of these fruit and vegetables would count as a portion? One 150 ml glass of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Only counts a maximum of once. One slice of melon (5 cm slice) Around 30 g. This is about one heaped tablespoon of raisins. Three heaped tablespoons of beans or pulses. Only counts a maximum of once. 5 cm piece of cucumber NHS Choices, 2013 © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat more fish Aim for at least two portions per week and one of these should be oily. (1 portion = 140 g) Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines and pilchards. Choose from fresh, frozen, smoked and canned, but remember that smoked fish contains salt, and canned can do, so check labels and pick lower salt varieties. Can you think of some examples of non-oily fish? © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cut down on saturated fat and sugar Although we need some fat in our diet, too much fat may lead to weight gain, as fat provides 9 kcal per gram, more than double that from carbohydrate and protein. Replace saturated fats from butter, lard, pastries, cream, pies and cheese (which can increase your blood cholesterol levels) with unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocados. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cut down on saturated fat and sugar Too much sugar, especially between meals can increase risk of tooth decay and will add extra calories so limit your added sugar intake! Use food labels to check how much saturated fat and sugar foods contain. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat less salt Eating too much salt is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Most of our salt intake comes from processed foods rather than salt added during cooking or at the table, so use food labels to help you reduce salt intake. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat less salt More than 1. 5 g of salt per 100 g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6 g of salt a day. Younger children should have even less. Try using extra herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon and lime), mustard or vinegar to flavour foods so you can use less salt in your recipes. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Eat less salt Salt is also called sodium chloride. Sometimes, food labels only give the figure for sodium. Although new food labels should state ‘salt’. To work out how much salt you are eating from the sodium figure: Salt = sodium x 2. 5 Look at the food label. How much salt does this product contain? © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Get active and be a healthy weight Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight. To achieve a healthy weight, we need to balance the energy from food and drinks with the energy we use up through activity. Being active can help maintain a healthy weight by using more energy. It is recommended that young people should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity every day. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Get active and be a healthy weight What does being active mean? Active living, e. g. walking, gardening. Active recreation, e. g. playing, dancing, cycling. Organised sport, e. g. netball, running, gymnastics. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

What does moderate intensity activity mean? Activity that will: • lead to an increase in breathing rate; • lead to an increase in heart rate; • lead to a feeling of increased warmth. Average physical activity levels in the UK are lower than recommendations. Most adults, older children and teenagers do not meet the targets. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

What do you think physical activity includes? • Activity at school or work, e. g. using the stairs • Household chores, e. g. vacuuming. • Looking after others. • Leisure-time activities, e. g. gardening, walking. • Transport (walking or cycling to school or work). • Sport. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Don’t get thirsty Around two-thirds of the body is made up of water. If we do not get enough fluid we may feel tired, get headaches and not perform at our best. Children 4 -13 are recommended to consume 6 -8 glasses of fluid a day. Children aged 14 and over and adults should aim for 8 -10 glasses of fluid per day. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Don’t get thirsty Most types of drink count including water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, milk, fruit juice and smoothies but try to avoid added sugar in your drinks as this can increase risk of dental decay. You also get water from the food you eat – on average food provides about 20% of your total fluid intake. We need to drink more when the weather is warm and when we are physically active. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Don’t skip breakfast Breakfast is important way to start the day. Those who eat a healthy breakfast may be less likely to snack on foods that are high in fat and/or sugar later on and may also be able to concentrate and perform better. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, providing energy for your morning activities and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Base your breakfast on the main food groups of The eatwell plate for a healthy start to the day. Make sure you include a drink at breakfast time! © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Acknowledgement For further information, go to: www. food 4 life. org. uk © LMC 2015 © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015