The ideala variety of nutrient-rich foods

Press, 15 May 1985, Page 47

The ideal — a variety of nutrient-rich foods

Food is an important part of everyone’s life, and the choice of foods to eat is highly significant to those seeking optimum health. Food provides—or should provide—all the nutrients necessary for good health, growth, and maintenance of normal body weight. A wide variety of foods is needed to ensure enough of all the nutrients required, and neither too much nor too little of any one. When the amount eaten is reduced to help control body weight, it is particularly important that the foods chosen are rich in nutrients.

Good nutrition means eating some starchy foods, especially wholegrain breads and breakfast cereals; a wide variety of fruit; a wide variety and large servings of vegetables; and some milk or other dairy products. It also means small servings only of lean meats, fish, poultry and some

pulses (beans, lentils, peas.) Fat and fatty foods (including butter) should be reduced to very small quantities. The same applies to sugar and sweetened foods, and to salt and salted foods. Foods that are loaded with calories but contain relatively few of the nutrients essential for good health are:

• Fats, and foods cooked with or containing fat. • Alcohol, and alcoholic beverages. • Sugars, and foods containing added sugar, including cordials, jams, ice cream, cakes and biscuits. Honey and syrup are forms of sugar.

Hints for food preparation:

• Leave skins on fruit and vegetables. • Do not soak vegetables. Cook them in a small amount of water and do not over-cook.

• Do not add sugar when cooking fruit. • Eat a high proportion of fruit and vegetables uncooked.