10 tips for a Healthier Lifestyle
A healthy diet does not have to be a boring diet.
Follow these simple tips to set you or your family on the way to healthy eating.
- Eat more bread, cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes.
It is recommended that you eat at least 2 portions of cereal, pasta, rice or potatoes and 4 slices of bread each day. Eat higher fibre versions if possible, for example, wholemeal bread, brown rice and potatoes with their skins left on.
It is a myth that such foods are fattening - it is what you eat with these foods that can make them so. For example, there are more calories in the fat you spread on a slice of bread, than the bread itself. - Eat more Fruit and Vegetables
You should aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Fresh, frozen, dried and canned varieties all count, as do natural fruit juices. Try having fruit as a snack. - Eat more fish
You should try to eat 2 portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily. Oily fish include mackerel, herrings, sardines, trout, salmon and pilchards.
Avoid deep-fried fish or fish coated in batter or breadcrumbs, as for example, steamed plaice has 1g of fat per 100g but it has 18g when fried in batter.
Look out for our Think Health logo on foods which you should try to eat more of. - Choose lower fat varieties of foods
Try using reduced fat alternatives (e.g. reduced fat dairy products, extra lean mince, reduced fat digestive biscuits, reduced fat sausages) whenever you can. For example, a simple swap from standard margarine to a reduced fat spread can save you 30 Calories and 4g of fat, per average spread on a slice of bread. Swapping a pint of whole milk for semi-skimmed, would save you 110 Calories and 13g of fat.
The 'Think Health' logo incorporated into a distinctive banner design will help you choose products where we've reduced the amount of fat, added sugar and salt (sodium), compared to the standard equivalent, or where the product is naturally healthier.
Altering the way you prepare and cook your food can make it healthier too. - Remove all visible fat and skin from meat and poultry
Choose lean meat, cut off any visible fat on meat and remove the skin from poultry, either before or after cooking. Removing all the visible fat from a lamb chop, would reduce its calorie content from 445 Calories to 195 Calories and the fat content from 36g to 11g.
When you are cooking mince, brown it for five minutes, then drain off the fat before continuing with the recipe. This can cut the fat content by up to 40 per cent. - Adapt your cooking habits
Adapt your cooking habits so that grilling, steaming, dry roasting and microwaving replace frying.
Did you know that there are 99 Calories and 11g of fat in each tablespoon of oil used for frying? - Make your recipes healthier
There is no need to stop eating your favourite dishes, just adapt them to make them healthier. For example:
Lasagne - Use wholemeal pasta. Brown standard mince and drain off the fat before continuing to cook it or use lean mince. Use less salt by seasoning with herbs only. When making the cheese sauce, use skimmed milk and thicken with cornflour instead of fat and flour. Use a strongly flavoured full or half fat cheese, so that you get a cheesy taste with less cheese.
Chicken Curry - Remove the chicken skin. Fry the chicken and spices in the minimum of oil. If adding soured cream to the recipe, replace with low fat yoghurt (remember to add it at the end of cooking and do not boil). Serve with wholegrain rice.
Serve your meals with extra bread, large portions of rice or potatoes, and vegetables or salad to make them even healthier.
Even when you are in a hurry, you should still eat healthily. Pasta, rice or microwaved jacket potatoes are quick to prepare. If you decide on a ready meal, remember to serve it with extra vegetables. - Eat less fatty & sugary foods
Sweets, snacks and some processed foods often contain a lot of fat and sugar. Try not to eat crisps, chips, biscuits, cakes and chocolate too often, to help control your intake of fat and sugar. - Eat less salt
There is strong evidence to suggest that sodium (which accounts for 40% of Salt) may cause an increase in blood pressure. So avoid adding salt during cooking or at the table and eat fewer salted foods, such as packet soups, crisps and salted peanuts. Processed foods often contain a lot of salt, so check the label. - Eat less fat
The Co-operative provides information on their labels to help their customers to make healthier choices. When choosing a healthier diet, you'll be looking for foods that in general contain less fat (particularly saturates), sugar and salt and more fibre.
Most people are not sure how many calories or how much fat they should be consuming each day. For this reason, where space permits, we include a Guideline Daily Amounts section on the label of Co-operative brand products. The figures quoted will help you in conjunction with the nutrition panel to select products for your diet.