8 tips for eating well

The Food Standards Agency's eight tips for eating well are:

1.      Base meals on starchy foods

     2 .Eat lots of fruit and vegetables

     3. Eat more fish

     4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

     5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day

    6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight

   7. Drink plenty of water

    8. Don't skip breakfast

Portioning

With Obesity problems sky rocketing all over the globe there is no doubt that portion sizing can be a problem. After researching portion sizing both in books and on the internet I came to a conclusion that a picture would be most effective way and being a visual personal myself would help convey the message across best.

Eat So They Can 2011

SUPER FOODS!

SUPER FOODS!

What are they?

A super food was a name keyed in the 1990s referring to foods with exceptional health benefiting properties. Many tests from many different research groups have been done and scientists believe some super foods can reduce risks of cancer, help your eyesight and claim to increase your IQ.

I don’t know about you but if that is true it sounds like a good idea to eat some of these super foods. So which foods are super you ask? Well that is a good question, and a very debatable question at that. However after research I have comprised a list of 50 super foods that can supposedly boost your health.

1.      Acai Berries

2.      Almonds

3.      Salmon

4.      Grapes

5.      Blueberries

6.      Sunflower seeds

7.      Spinach

8.      Walnuts

9.      Natural yogurt

10.  Green Tea

11.  Oats

12.  Soy

13.  Cranberries

14.  Broccoli

15.  Lentils

16.  Avocados

17.  Apples

18.  Olive Oil

19.  Whole grain seeded bread

20.  Bananas

21.  Brazil Nuts

22.  Figs

23.  Eggs

24.  Flaxseeds

25.  Goji Berries

26.  Cherries

27.  Honey

28.  Raspberries

29.  Sardines

30.  Tuna

31.  Watermelon

32.  Celery

33.  Garlic

34.  Lemons

35.  Carrots

36.  Shiitake Mushrooms

37.  Chilli Peppers

38.  Lean Beef

39.  Blackberries

40.  Cabbage

41.  Asparagus

42.  Pears

43.  Oranges

44.  Persimmons

45.  Rye

46.  Pumpkin Seeds

47.  Scrimp

48.  Quinoa

49.  Tomatoes

50.  Chicken

Get some super in your day!

What is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet for me conjures up images of restriction, vegetables, fruit, whole meal bread, maybe some meat and fish and possibly a food pyramid however this is not the whole story.

A healthy balanced diet is not extreme as removing sugar or a food group like carbohydrates from your diet it is simply a balance of consuming a variety of food in the right quantity from each food group in order to maintain good health and nutrition.

The new and improved food pyramid

Understanding the new food pyramid:

Working from the bottom of the pyramid up daily exercise is shown important. Vegetables and fruits and whole grains and plant oils make up the largest amount of servings. Then the next highest consumption is legumes, nuts and seeds, then proteins and finally low fat dairy. Your least common intake should be red meat, butter and other high glycaemic foods.

Minerals....

Minerals are needed for three main reasons.                             

1.      To build strong bones and teeth

2.      To control body fluids inside and outside cells

3.      To turn the food we eat into energy

Some essential minerals are:

·         Calcium (examples: dairy products, broccoli, cabbage, kale, tofu, sardines and salmon)

·         Iron (examples: meats, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains and enriched food products

·         Phosphorus (examples: milk, grains, lean meats)

·         Magnesium (examples: dairy products, meat, fish, poultry, green vegetables, legumes)

·         Zinc (examples: meat, seafood, and liver, eggs, milk, whole-grain products)

·         Copper (examples: seafood, nuts, legumes, green leafy vegetables)

·         Manganese (examples: whole grain products, fruits and vegetables, tea)

Examples of how to get your Vitamins

More on Vitamins....

Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

• Pork, vegetables, milk, cheese, peas, fresh and dried fruit, eggs, wholegrain breads, some fortified breakfast cereals

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

• Milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, rice, mushrooms

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

• Meat, fish, wheat flour, maize flour, eggs, milk

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

• Chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, kidney, eggs, broccoli, wholegrains, such as brown rice and whole meal bread

Vitamin C

• Peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, oranges, kiwi fruit

Fat Soluble Viatmins

Vitamin A

• Cheese, eggs, oily fish, such as mackerel, milk, fortified low-fat spreads, yoghurt

Vitamin D

·         oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, eggs, fortified fat spreads, fortified breakfast, cereals, powdered milk

Vitamin K

·         green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, vegetable oils, cereals

What are vitamins and Minerals?

What are vitamins and Minerals?

Vitamins and minerals are found in foods, everybody needs vitamins and minerals to function, to grow and develop the body properly. Each vitamin and mineral plays a different role and are divided into two different categories, water soluble and fat soluble vitamins.

 Water soluble:

·         Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in your body therefore they need to be consumed more frequently.

·         You only need a certain amount of water-soluble vitamins; your body will just get rid of more than you need.

·         Water-soluble vitamins are commonly found in fruit and vegetables and sometimes grains.

·         However you need to be careful as water soluble vitamins can be lost by exposure to too much heat or air or when cooked in water.

Fat Soluble:

·         Fat soluble vitamins can be found in mainly fatty foods like animal fats, butter, lard, vegetable oil, dairy products, liver and oily fish.

·         These vitamins due to their high fat content shouldn’t be consumed as often as water soluble vitamins.

·         When not used immediately fat soluble vitamins are stored in your liver and fatty tissues for future use, eating too much of them can be harmful.

Nutrition... seriously what is it?

Teachers are going on about it,

Parents are going on about it,

Lets face it.... we don't always know EXACTLY

what it is!

So lets start with the definition

Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.

Good nutrition is obtaining the correct amount of calories we need for energy and the sufficient amount of nutrients for proper growth.

Benefits of good nutrition:

When both adults and children receive a balanced variety of healthy foods, moderate amounts of fat, sugar and salt. Learning and keeping good nutrition habits lowers the risk of becoming overweight, lowers heart disease and even diabetes.

Now that fruit salad looks pretty tasty :p

Hello there

Love cooking easy healthy food?
Love dinner parties with friends and family?
Love helping charities?

But rubbish at planning...

Then this blog is for you!

Here you can find information about
nutrition, balanced diets, portioning
and keeping your guests dinners
yummy and healthy!

I will be posting delicous menu plans, simple recipes
and plate presentation sure to amaze your
guests!

Health and safety is very important
and I will also be giving hints and tips
to keep you and your guests happy and safe!

In these times of econmoic down turn
I will also be giving bugeting tips and a
plan to make sure you raise the most money
possible for the charity of your choice!

Watch this space ;)