How to Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is a balanced combination of foods and drinks that provides your body with the nutrients it needs. It’s low in salt, sugar and saturated and industrially-produced trans fats and high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean meat and oily fish. It also contains plenty of fibre and is rich in vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet also supports a stable weight, lower risk of chronic non-communicable diseases and contributes to mental wellbeing.Eating a healthy diet is easier than you might think, especially with regular shopping and meal prep. Having a well-stocked pantry and fridge will make it easier to cook meals at home and avoid buying fast food or takeaway. Choosing more plant-based foods and reducing processed and packaged items can help lower your kilojoule intake. It is recommended to consume about two-and-a-half cups of vegetables and one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit per day. This is a great way to get a wide range of essential nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C and folate.When cooking at home, try to use recipes that require a minimal number of ingredients and are quick to prepare. This will help you avoid the extra kilojoules and added sodium in packaged foods. When you shop, look at the ingredient list on the back of products to check their nutritional value. If you do purchase packaged food, choose options with a short ingredient list and limited saturated or trans fats.A healthy diet should include a variety of protein-rich foods like seafood, lean meat and poultry, soy products, eggs and legumes (beans and peas). It should also contain dairy, but limit full-fat options and opt for low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt. It should also be low in added sugars, sodium and saturated fats.The best sources of healthy fats are vegetable oils (olive, canola, peanut, safflower and sunflower) and nuts and seeds. These can be used for cooking, to top salads or to replace butter in baking. Choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats, which increase your cholesterol level and can raise your heart disease risk.A healthy diet should be moderate in kilojoules, with about 30–50% of your daily energy coming from carbohydrates, 30–40% from protein and 20–30% from fats. This helps to balance your appetite and ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs.