Nutritional plan for good health

Variety is key
Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include wholegrain products, (wholegrain cereals, brown rice, wholemeal bread, etc), fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.

Balance your plate
Nutritionists used to suggest meals should be one-third each of carbs, protein and veg, but the most recent advice is that your plate should be half full of vegetables, a quarter carbs and a quarter protein. Make sure you balance every meal to ensure a healthy intake.

Bulk upon protein
Meals containing higher levels of protein and a lower amount of carbohydrate keep your fuller for longer than those that are low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Try altering the balance of foods on your plate to help maintain fullness, particularly at lunchtime.

Age-related alternations
Remember that as you grow older, your calorie requirements will change even if you maintain the same levels of activity. Make time to think about your life-eating balance a few times a year to see if you need to alter your intake.

Growing-up diets
Teenagers and older children who are growing fast often have higher requirements for nutrients. For example 15 to 18-year-old boys need more thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorous and iron than adult mean. Similarly, 15 to 18-year-old girls need more niacin, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium than adult women.

Calorie count
For an adult man who is moderately active the daily guidelines are around 2500 a day. For women, who usually have less muscle bulk sand therefore a lower metabolism, it’s 200 a day. Dropping 500 calories a day is a calorie-controlled diet.

Spot the difference
The main point of difference between US and EU/UK nutritional labels is that the EU/UK requires nutrients to be shown per 100 g or 100 ml. The nutrient amounts may, in addition, be given per quantified serving or portion (if the number of portions in a pack is stated on the packaging).

Boost their brains
For children aged between four and six, growth has showed down but general development is ongoing and rapid, so getting enough calories is really important. Studies have shown that children with healthy diets perform better in school, so aim to give boys of this age 1700 and girls 1500 calories a day.

Golden Oldies
Scientists have found that consuming a diet rich in wholegrain foods may lower the risk for cardiovascular disease and reduce the onset of metabolic syndrome, especially in older people so it’s even more important to eat them as you age.

Allow for differences
Remember that US Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) differ from UK RDAs, therefore figures and statements of percentage contribution of nutrients could be misleading on imported products. Check where you products originated to be sure.

Count kids’ calories
Aged between seven and ten, children need around 2000 calories (for boy) or 1800 calories (for a girl) to keep their bodies functioning optimally. Eleven to 14-years-old boys need an average of 2200 calories a day and girls a slightly lower 1900, but bear in mind that these amounts are calculated for average activity, so if your child is sporty, he or she will probably need more.

Thumbs upto cheese
Did you know that a portion size of cheese is just the size of a thumb? Our that one muffin or bagel portion is the size of a ping-pong ball? This means you’re more than likely getting more than one portion with each serving, so take this into account when planning menus.

Toddlers don’t run on empty
If you have children aged one to three, try to make sure they get around 1200 calories a day from all the major food groups to meet their growth and energy needs. Try to keep down the amount of “empty” calories – in processed foods – and to include as many different foods as possible.

Teen spirit
The recommended daily amount of calories for a teenager over 14 years old is actually around 300 calories a day higher than that for an adult because their body is using up lots of calories in growth and development. Aim for around 2800 calories for boys and 2200 for girls and avoid skipping meals.

Climb the food pyramid
Many organizations use the food pyramid to help you understand how to eat better. At the base of the plan are plenty of breads, cereals, rice and pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add 2-3 servings a day from dairy and 2-3 servings from meat, and go easy on fats, oils and sweets, which are at the top of the pyramid.

Day-to-day needs
Per day, the average 40-years-old women should be eating 175 g (6 oz) of wholegrains, three handfuls of vegetables and two of fruit, 500 ml (18 fl oz) of milk or dairy products, and around 175 g (6 oz) of protein from meat, fish or beans.

Eat less empties
As a general rule, try and keep your intake of “empty” calories (from sugary snacks, processed foods, alcohol, biscuits and cakes) to around 200-250 a day. These high-energy/low nutritional value foods should make up less than 10% of your total daily intake.

Food planning

Weigh up the week
It’s important to get a good balance of food every day, but it can be confusing and easy to lose track. To check, think about what you eat and drink over the course of a week – jot it down if it helps. If it balances out overall, even if you have the odd bad day, you’re on the right track.

Three of your five a day
Most people known they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but did you know that three of these, ideally, should be vegetables because they are lower in sugar and higher in fibre?

Put in what you give out
Start thinking about your balance of calories in and calories out. So, if you’ve had a really active day you might need a larger dose of carbohydrates to refuel your body’s lost energy, but if you’ve been relatively inactive, you could probably make do with a smaller portion.

Eat one carb per meal
The best way to moderate your carbohydrate input is to limit it to one portion per meal. This would be equivalent to 1-2 slices of wholemeal bread, a cup of cereal, rice or oats, or a baked sweet or regular potato.

Go light on the carbs
Watch the amount of starchy carbohydrates you’re serving at each meal. Carb-heavy meals tend to be calorie-heavy meals. Don’t be tempted to base an entire meal around noodles. Rice or bread even thought it’s sometimes easier. Replace with more vegetables or a salad instead.

Be an early riser
Get up five minutes earlier in the morning and use the time to sit down and plan your daily intake of food and drink. Knowing ahead of time what you’re going to eat will make you less likely to binge and more likely to eat in moderation. If you’re eating to weekly plans, use this morning time to revise your day’s diet.

Bake a cake
Instead of buying cakes or biscuits in the supermarket, make your own at home and substitute wholemeal flour for the usual white variety – it will make your homemade cakes nutritious as well as tasty.

Fruit in the fridge
Try fresh fruit salad for dessert instead of calorie-packed puddings. To make it easier, make a large bowl at the beginning of the week and keep it in your fridge so it’s easy to dip into every night.

Stick to a serving
It’s difficult to know what’s meant by “one serving”, especially if you’re trying to count calories. Generally, the recommended serving of cooked meat is 85 g (3 oz), which is roughly the size of a pack of cards.

Just say no
Did you know that 500 ml (18 fl oz) of ice cream is the equivalent of four portions of your daily dairy and fat intake? Think about that next time you’re offered an extra scoop.

Take a handful
How do you know what a serving of fruit or vegetables is? In general, it’s about a handful of most types, or a medium apple, pear or orange. Bear in mind that for vegetables the amounts are measured cooked rather than raw. This is especially important for “shrinking” foods like spinach.

Sensibly does it
Always remember that effective weight-loss programmes should include healthy-eating plans that reduce calories but do not rule out specific foods or food groups, together with physical activity. This should give a slow and steady weight loss of 0.5-1.5 kg (1-3 lb) per week.

Serve yourself well
According to advice from the USDA (mypyramid.gov), for a balanced daily diet, you should aim for 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group (around 100 g or 4 oz), 3 of which should be whole grains. Then add 2-4 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of vegetables and 1-2 protein.

Grow your own
If you’re tired of not being able to find cheap organic vegetables, why not grow your own? Vegetable patches and allotments are becoming increasingly popular and they’re a great way to ensure good quality produce. If you’re short of space, tomatoes, lettuce and fresh herbs also grow well on windowsills and in window boxes.