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keeping a balanced diet

tip 8

Base your meals on higher fiber starchy carbohydrates. Starchy carbohydrates include pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and cereals. These foods should make up just over a third of the food you consume. Most people think starchy foods are fattening but because of the carbohydrates they contain it actually provides fewer than half the calories of fat. So trying to include at least one starchy food with each meal is important. Higher fibers or wholewheat options such as brown rice, potatoes with their skin on, and wholegrain pasta all contain more fiber and can help you feel full longer. Also keeping an eye on the fats you add when you're cooking, for example, butter on bread, creamy sauces, or oil on chips can all increase your calorie content.

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keeping a balanced diet

Tip seven

Eating more fish. Fish contains many vitamins and minerals and is a good source of protein. You can choose from canned, frozen, or fresh, but sometimes it's good to note that smoked and canned fish can be higher in salt. It is good to aim to eat at least two portions of fish per week and this can include eating oily fish as one portion. Oily fish can help prevent heart disease because it is high in omega-3 fats.

Oily fish include

sardines

salmon

trout

herring

pilchards

mackerel

Non-oily fish include

tuna

skate

cod

hake

haddock

coley

plaice

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keeping a balanced diet

Tip six

Eating less salt. About three-quarters of the salt you consume is already in the food you buy. This includes soups, sauces, breakfast cereals, and breads. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt per day. To help you watch this you can look at the food labels to see where you can cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Also eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure the more likely you're to have a stroke or develop a heart disease.

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keeping a balanced diet

tip five

Do not skip breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast that is low in sugar and high in fiber can help you get the nutrients you need for good health. Most people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight but it will actually make you hungrier causing you to overeat later making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Breakfast is like fuel for your body so it is very important to give yourself that boost for the morning.

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keeping a balanced diet

tip four

Do not get thirsty. Making sure to drink plenty of fluids is important to stop you from getting dehydrated. In addition to the fluid you get from the food you eat, the government recommends you drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day. Choose healthier options like water, lower sugar drinks, and lower fat milk, including tea and coffee. Sugary soft and fizzy drinks are high in calories and bad for your teeth so try to avoid those. It is also important to drink more fluids in hotter temperatures or while exercising.

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keeping a balanced diet

tip three

Get active and be a healthy weight. Eating healthy is important but finding a balance between eating healthy and exercising is better for your well-being and overall health. Exercising can help reduce your risk of developing serious health conditions. If you're trying to lose weight eating a healthy balanced diet and being more active can help you maintain a healthy weight. If you're underweight and are worried talk to a dietician or your GP for advice.

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keeping a balanced diet

tip two

Cutting down on saturated fat and sugar. It is important to pay attention to the type and amount of fat you're consuming but you do need some fat in your body. There are two main types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Too much-saturated fat can increase your risk of developing heart disease because it increases the amount of cholesterol in your body. Replacing some of these fats with unsaturated fats like avocados, vegetable oils and spreads, and oily fishes. Also, fats are high in energy, so try to eat them in smaller amounts. Sugary foods and drinks are also high in energy and too much can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. Free sugars are sugars that you need to cut down on because it is just added sugar. So eat more fruits and drink more milk because they're all natural sugars.

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Tips to keep a balanced diet

tip one

simply just eating more fruits and veggies. Getting in your 5 a Day or eating at least 5 portions of fruits and veggies a day is recommended. This can include frozen, fresh, juice, canned, or even dried. Typically an adult portion of fruits and veggies is around 80 grams. Many people can find it difficult to fit fruits and veggies into their meals but by finding new recipes that incorporate these you might even find a new favorite. Starting your day with a serving or two of fruit and a veggie with your breakfast, for example, this could be adding a side of berries to your meal or adding spinach to your eggs and repeating that with your other meals. There are a variety of ways to incorporate your fruits and veggies into your diet you just have to figure out what works best for you.

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Keeping a balanced diet

This will be a blog that talks about the importance of having a balanced diet.