Easy steps to making healthy food choices in the workplace

The subject of healthy eating can seem both very simple and quite confusing.

A healthy balance of foods provides the energy and nourishment that everyone requires to survive and enjoy life. What we eat and drink and how physically active we are affects our health now and in the future and can protect our bodies against the onset of diseases later on in life and helps us feel good about ourselves.

Eating too little food soon leads to illness, but eating too much or the wrong balance of foods can lead to problems in the long-term.

The two keys to a healthy diet are:

• Eating the right amount of food for how active you are
• Eating a wide variety of foods to ensure you are getting a balanced diet.

A healthy balanced diet includes a variety of types of foods including lots of fruit & vegetables and starchy carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals; some protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils; and some dairy foods such as low fat milk, yoghurt and cheese.

Just as good food and health go hand-in-hand, you also need to combine all this with more physical activity to improve your overall health. It’s also very important to enjoy your healthier eating, as this way you’re more likely to stick to the changes you make to your food and health.

If you eat one or two portions with each meal and have the occasional fruit snack you might be surprised at how easy it is to eat five-a-day.At breakfast you could:

• add a handful of dried fruit to your cereal
• eat half a grapefruit or an apple
• drink a glass of fruit juice

At lunch you could:

• eat a bowl of salad
• have a banana sandwich
• have some fruit salad

At your evening meal you could:

• add vegetables or pulses to your curry, casserole or stir fry
• serve at least two types of vegetables with your fish, chicken or meat

And don't forget, when you fancy a snack, reach for an apple, banana or perhaps even some dried fruit.