Healthy Eating Plans

When you're planning your meals, always keep in mind the correct amounts of different foods that you need to eat each day.

Don't worry if on some days your diet is not so balanced. It happens, and as long as overall you're getting the proportions right, you'll be fine.

Once you start to follow healthy eating plans, you'll soon be able to balance your diet automatically.

If you have a protein-rich meal at lunch, such as a ham and cheese sandwich with a bean salad, you'll know that you need to pull back on the protein at dinner.

Another benefit of eating a balanced diet, is that you don't need to worry about whether you're getting enough vitamins and minerals. That will happen naturally.

HEALTHY EATING PLANS - THE BASICS

Then, following healthy eating guidelines, pick foods from these groups to make up your daily diet.

Fruit and vegetables A minimum of five portions a day, although some countries advise seven or even nine portions. Make it a habit to add some fruit or veg to every meal, and also choose heart healthy snacks based on fresh produce.

Bread, Rice, Pasta, Cereals Include five to seven servings a day from this food group. Look for healthy breakfast cereals. Use wholegrain bread (remembering that a serving is one slice, so a sandwich includes two servings), and also use wholegrain pasta and rice. If your family are less keen on the wholegrain varieties, try mixing them half and half with refined products for a while, then gradually up the proportion of wholegrain.

Milk and Dairy Use 2-3 servings a day. Don't forget to include the milk you use in coffee and tea. Choose low fat versions if you wish. Some of these are more palatable than others. Low fat hard cheeses, for example, don't always have as a good a texture and flavour as the full-fat variety. If you go for full-fat, reduce the quantity that you eat.

Proteins Stick to 2-3 servings a day of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, soya and pulses. Choose skinless poultry, oily fish, soya and vegetable proteins more often than you go for red meat. Wise up on the meat facts. Always remove visible fat from any meat that you cook.

Foods High in Sugar or Fat 0-3 servings a day of these, the 'treat foods' like crisps, cakes and cookies that many of us find so addictive. If you find it hard to limit yourself, try having fresh fruit and veg ready prepared on hand for snacking.

Check out the chocolate facts, and make wiser choices. Visit the supermarket when you're not hungry, and strictly limit the amount of unhealthy foods you buy. Work out what your treat will be for the day, enjoy it - savour it - then have no more until the next day.

Follow healthy eating plans like this, if you're not sure what is a healthy diet. Over a period of time these simple guidelines can make a big difference to the healthiness of your diet. Make a start today.

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