Getting to know your plate: A guide to healthy eating

Transcription

1 Getting to know your plate: A guide to healthy eating What is healthy eating? Healthy eating is about choosing the right type of food and the right amount of food. Different types of food contain different nutrients. It is important for you to choose the right type of food to get all the nutrients your body needs. Since everyone s body is different, we each need different amounts of food. Knowing the right amount of food you need to eat each day can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition to healthy eating, it s important to be active each day. Our body uses the energy we get from food to help us complete our daily activities. When more energy is consumed than used, weight gain occurs, and that s why it s important to balance the energy we get from food with the energy we use while being physically active. Why do I need to eat healthily? Healthy eating has many benefits. A healthy diet can help you look and feel good, as well as give you the energy to do the things that you want to do (e.g. spending time with your family and friends or participating in sports). Start eating healthily today!

2 How can I achieve a healthy diet? My Healthy Plate can help you achieve a healthy diet by showing you what to eat and how much to eat at each meal. Visual is indicative only. Please refer to table for accurate representation of daily serving sizes. My Healthy Plate guides you to: Fill half of your plate with fruit and vegetables Fill a quarter of your plate with whole-grains Fill a quarter of your plate with meat and others Use healthier oils Choose water Be active

3 Fill half of your plate with fruit and vegetables Fruit and vegetables are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, and can lower the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. Eat a colourful variety of fruit and vegetables to get a variety of nutrients. Fill a quarter of your plate with whole-grains Whole-grain products such as brown rice, wholemeal bread and rolled oats contain vitamins (vitamins B and E), minerals (iron, zinc and magnesium), plant chemicals (lignans, phytosterols) and inulin (a type of dietary fibre). Refined grain products such as white rice or white bread have gone through processing which removes the valuable nutrients that whole-grains have to offer. Consuming whole-grains over refined grains can reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Fill a quarter of your plate with meat and others Lean meats such as chicken, fish, lentils, beans, tofu or nuts contain protein that helps to build and repair tissues in the body. Ensure you also include calcium-rich foods in your diet each day. Milk, yoghurt, cheese, tofu, sardines and calcium-fortified soy milk are rich in calcium. Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products more often than full-fat dairy products. Use healthier oils Healthy fats should be included in the diet on a daily basis to help your body function at its best. Healthier oils such as canola, olive, soy, sunflower and peanut oils, consist of healthy fats that can decrease the risk of developing heart disease. Nuts are also good sources of healthy fat. Choose water Make water your drink of choice. Most sugar-sweetened beverages contain empty calories - calories with no beneficial nutrients for our bodies. Drinking too many beverages high in added sugars can lead to weight gain or obesity. The table below illustrates the recommended water and fluid consumption for the different age groups. Recommended glasses per day and above Pregnant and lactating women Glasses # of water per day Glasses # of total fluid intake* per day # One glass = 250 ml *Total fluid intake is the total amount of fluid intake from food (such as soup and porridge) and beverages (such as water and milk)

4 Be active Being healthy isn t just about healthy eating, it also involves being active every day. Activities like brisk walking, cycling and swimming, daily lifestyle activities such as taking the stairs, and strength activities such as using hand weights and skipping, all count as physical activity. Please refer to the table below for the physical activity recommendations across the different age groups. Physical Activity Recommendations Below and above Aerobic activity and strength activity For infants, physical activity should be encouraged from birth, particularly through floorbased play in safe environments Children who are capable of walking unaided should be physically active (structured and unstructured) for at least 180 minutes spread throughout each day in safe environments Accumulate 60 minutes or more of moderate- to vigorous-intensity* physical activity every day, emphasising aerobic-type physical activities As part of the 60 minutes, vigorousintensity physical activity should be incorporated at least 3 times per week, including those that strengthen muscles and bones Aim to engage in lifestyle activity every day Accumulate 150 minutes of moderateintensity or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic activity each week Include strength activity on 2 or more days each week Aim to engage in lifestyle activity every day Accumulate 150 minutes of moderateintensity or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic activity each week Include strength activity on 2 or more days each week Balance is maintained or improved by regularly following the physical activity guidelines above Sedentary activity Limit total sedentary entertainment screen time (e.g. television and video games) to <2 hours each day Limit total sedentary entertainment screen time (e.g. television and video games) to <2 hours each day N.A. N.A. Break up sedentary periods (except time spent sleeping) lasting longer than 90 minutes, with 5 to 10 minutes of standing, moving around, active play, or doing some physical activity *Moderate-intensity: Moderate-intensity physical activity will cause a noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate such that one is able to carry on a conversation but does not have enough breath to sing while engaging in the activity. Vigorous-intensity: Vigorous-intensity physical activity will cause a large increase in breathing and heart rate such that one is not able to carry on a conversation but is not out of breath while engaging in the activity.

5 Healthy eating also means eating less of certain food Eat less food that is high in sugar, fat and salt. Examples of such food include desserts, sweetened drinks, pastries, preserved food, and food prepared with a lot of salt and sauces. Recommended sugar limits Recommended salt limits Age Recommended limit (teaspoons) Age Recommended limit (teaspoons) 6 months (181 days) 12 months 5 6 months (181 days) 12 months 1/ /2 7 > > Pregnant and lactating women 11 Pregnant and lactating women 1 How much do I need to eat? Use the Recommended number of servings per day chart below for the number of servings you require from each food group.

6 What is one serving?* Brown Rice & Wholemeal Bread 2 slices wholemeal bread (60g) ½ bowl** brown rice (100g) 2 bowls** brown rice porridge (500g) ½ bowl** whole-grain noodles, beehoon or spaghetti (100g) 4 plain wholemeal biscuits (40g) 2 wholemeal chapatis (60g) 1½ cups*** whole-grain breakfast cereal (40g) 2 3 bowl** uncooked oatmeal (50g) Fruit 1 small apple, orange, pear or mango (130g) 1 wedge papaya, pineapple or watermelon (130g) 10 grapes or longans (50g) 1 medium banana ¼ cup*** dried fruit (40g) 1 cup*** pure fruit juice (250ml) Vegetables 150g raw leafy vegetables 100g raw non-leafy vegetables ¾ mug*** cooked leafy vegetables (100g) ¾ mug*** cooked non-leafy vegetables (100g) ¼ round plate + cooked vegetables Meat & Others 1 palm-size piece meat, fish or poultry (90g) 2 glasses*** milk (500ml) 2 small blocks soft bean curd (170g) ¾ cup*** cooked pulses (peas, beans, lentils) (120g) 5 medium prawns (90g) 3 eggs (150g) *All weights listed are for edible portions only **Rice bowl ***250ml + 10 inch plate For any further enquiries, please directly to hpb_yhp@hpb.gov.sg.